Looking up and down the roster, one could argue that the Milwaukee Bucks' second-best player is Myles Turner (the money says that as well). With that in mind, many are wondering if he will step up and deliver a career season in the scoring department, perhaps finishing as the team's runner-up in that area to Giannis Antetokounmpo. While possible, that's a scenario the Bucks may want to avoid.
Someone else must rise to the occasion, and the Bucks have options.
Bucks cannot let Myles Turner get burnt out
Myles Turner is an electric two-way player. However, defense has always been his calling card due to his incredible versatility. The two-time Block Champion will surely help the Bucks in that area, but his impact could potentially take a step back if they are also asking him to average nearly 20 points per game. For his career, he hovers just above 14.
Over the last two years, where they've been successful, the Pacers didn't ask Turner to be their second-leading scorer. Last season, he ranked fourth on the team in points per game. The year before, it was third. Turner is great as a third or fourth option, but asking him to do so much on the defensive end and score at that rate could wear him out, something Milwaukee cannot afford.
With that, someone needs to step up and take that pressure off of Turner. Right now, it's open season as to who could snatch that title.
Kevin Porter Jr. feels like everyone's Most Improved Candidate pick for the Bucks. With a larger role, the guard could certainly turn back the clock to his Houston days and put up big numbers. Fingers remain crossed that Kyle Kuzma can have a major bounce back. It feels like Gary Trent Jr. is being slept on in this conversation, as he's proven before that he can put up big offensive numbers.
Doc Rivers' starting lineup decision will make this an easy argument. If he stars both Porter and Trent, those two bucket-getters can take significant scoring pressure off of Turner. If he starts someone like Ryan Rollins or Taurean Prince, who are more complementary pieces, that could be more of an issue.
Having any of those players step up to alleviate offensive pressure off of Turner would be a win for the Milwaukee Bucks. To be clear, the big man can certainly still put up significant numbers, but the defensive side of things is where most of his energy should be. There's a reason Brook Lopez was never the second-leading scorer for this basketball team. His defensive presence was too valuable.
The same goes for Myles Turner.
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