For all the Milwaukee Bucks fans still holding their breath until they actually see Myles Turner on the court in a green jersey: breathe. After a hectic free agency switch, the big man made his Bucks debut in the team's preseason opener against the Miami Heat. How did he look? Let's highlight a handful of observations from his performance in the team's win.
Turner wasn't focused on his own shots
There has been a lot of chatter about who Milwaukee's second scoring option will be this season. Turner is among the candidates, but he will have to be more aggressive than he was in this contest. He finished with eight points on three shot attempts, doing most of his damage from the free throw line, where he sank four of his five attempts.
This was clearly a feel-it-out game for the big man. He's still putting the pieces together, and this was the first opportunity to get some game action with his new teammates. Even if he wasn't aggressive during his 15 minutes, he looked good when he was hunting for his own shot. Over the next few games, he will likely increase his aggressiveness and output.
Milwaukee's defense has it's new man in the middle
One of the primary reasons the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Turner was to infuse athleticism into their lineup. That's exactly what they got. Turner looked fluid defending both the hoop and in space, picking up two blocks and a steal because of it. Having a collection of athletic perimeter defenders around him certainly helped Turner look as advertised defensively.
Replacing Brook Lopez, Turner has big shoes to fill, but he certainly has the tools to do so, and there were glimpses of it sprinkled throughout this game.
He'll benefit greatly from Giannis Antetokounmpo's presence
Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play in this game after joining camp late due to COVID-19. There is no telling how much action he might see, but Bucks fans are itching to see him on the court next to Myles Turner. Antetokounmpo's presence alone will open up the game for Turner so much in ways that weren't available in this preseason opener.
Offensively, Turner attempted just one 3-pointer. Next to Giannis, he will have to crank that number up tremendously. Giannis commanding so much attention from defenses will help get Turner more open, a luxury he didn't have much in the opener. Defensively, these two will play off of each other both when protecting the rim and defending on the perimeter, making one another better.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.