“We’ve got everything we need”: Myles Turner on Pacers’ playoff push, connected locker room, and growing a legacy in Indiana [EXCLUSIVE]

Coming off a run to the Eastern Conference finals, the Indiana Pacers remain motivated to make another deep run. With a 37-29 record in 66 games, the team ranks fifth in the conference and is locked into a tight seeding race with the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons for the fourth through sixth seeds.

The Pacers have re-emerged as an elite team since beginning the season with a 9-14 record through early December. From then on, Indiana has gone 27-14, half the regular season. While the OKC Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have posted winning percentages in a class above the rest, the Pacers rank fifth in the league during that span.

Myles Turner Exclusive

Myles Turner, the Pacers’ stretch-five and rim protector, credited the team’s improved execution when starting games. He recalled this being a problem area for Indiana last season that has since been a key focus for the group to clean up in 2024-25.

“ It's a combination of just our offensive disposition,” Turner told Sportskeeda. “I believe that we've decided to pick it up on that end. I think that's something that's really helped us in these past couple of games been tough. [...] I think we've been getting off to better starts.

"That's something that hurt us a lot last year — not starting the game with the right amount of energy. It's been an overall collective effort. We have a good roster of guys, and everybody contributes. Everybody's equally important.”

The Pacers made a blockbuster trade to acquire Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 18, 2024, with the goal that he’d be a difference-making talent as one of their primary options offensively.

With over a year since his arrival, Turner is confident in the group Indiana has, especially after having an entire training camp together coming off a deep playoff run. There isn’t an internal thought about what the team is missing. They believe they have what they need.

“We just have all the pieces we need. I think that at times, sometimes teams are like, ‘If only we had this, if only we had that.’ That's not really the case for us,” Turner explained. “I think we have everything we need to compete. It's just a matter of making all the pieces fit and just get hot at the right time.”

Every team usually has a player or two who can be a swing factor when their game clicks — essentially an X-factor. The first name that came to Turner’s mind when evaluating who this player could be for the Pacers is Andrew Nembhard. His defensive impact is always appreciated, but when scoring at a high level, the Pacers become an even more daunting threat for any opponent.

“Andrew Nembhard is someone who doesn't always score a lot of points, but he's capable,” Turner said. “He's guarding the best player every single night. When he was missing at the beginning of the season, his impact was missed. I think he's someone that really helps us.”

Another player who has stepped into a similar capacity is Obi Toppin, who has often brought a spark off the bench. Turner has always believed in Toppin's talent, dating back to his time as a lottery pick for the New York Knicks. Toppin’s confidence has only grown, significantly impacting the Pacers in his role.

“Obi Toppin has been huge off the bench. I think he's starting to find his stride,” Turner said. “He's a lot more confident. He's always had the game just I think mentality it just clicked for him. I think [Nembhard and Toppin], those are two of the main X Factors, if you will.”

After a challenging start to the season for Haliburton, he has found his rhythm significantly. He’s elevated his game even further since the All-Star break, averaging 21.9 points while dishing out an average of 11.9 assists and only 1.0 turnovers. He’s shooting a remarkable 56% from the floor, 48.6% from deep, and 92.6% from the free throw line.

“Tyrese has just seen every defense at this point,” Turner said of Haliburton. “Teams really try to make it hard on him and try to ice him out of the game, but I think he's done a tremendous job just reading the game since the beginning of the season.

"I think he got a lot of hate. He got a lot of guys talking about the beginning of the year. He was able to take that on mentally and just ball — post All-Star break, he's been incredible.”

Early this season, Turner explained that his synergy with Haliburton has been developed through an established continuity alongside the star guard across four seasons. With so many coverages they’ve seen and going through many possessions together, their sequences have felt second nature — forcing defenses into challenging positions.

“It’s all about synergy, man,” Turner said early this season. “This is our fourth season together, and I’ve gotten to know his tendencies. He’s great at getting downhill and creating opportunities, not just for me but for everyone. It’s like he has eyes in the back of his head.”

Having Turner as a pick-and-roll partner is an asset that Haliburton appreciates. With a big man who can finish at the rim, knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers, and make plays against mismatches, Indiana has a lot of options regarding what the team can run. It’s even more potent when factoring in a dynamic forward like Siakam.

“He’s one of the best shooting bigs to ever play this game, so he can really stretch things out for me in pick-and-roll situations,” Haliburton said of Turner early this season.

For the third consecutive season, Turner has averaged over 15 points per game and is shooting a career-best 39.7% from beyond the arc while taking a career-high 5.4 attempts per game. With how challenging it is to stop teams with a stretch five when shots are dropping at a strong clip, this remains an integral factor for Indiana.

“Honestly, bro, just a lot of work, just a lot of work into it,” Turner said. “Some of it's a mindset, you know, being more confident. I think post All-Star, I've obviously shot a lot more threes.

"I'm encouraged to shoot. I think that just over the years, like I said, it's just a general, just overall, collective of me just putting in the hours, putting in the work, just you can't shoot, you can't shoot the ground.”

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle echoed Haliburton’s sentiment, putting Turner in a rare class of big men. Many teams try hard to find a stretch-five that can unlock new dimensions of their offense. It’s even more challenging to find one with additional offensive skills that can protect the rim defensively.

The spacing that Turner's skill set provides has remained instrumental in Siakam putting defenses in challenging positions. There is growing buzz for Siakam to be a forward on an All-NBA team amid averages of 20.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.

There is a clear connection that works at a high level when Turner and Siakam share the floor, complementing each other's strengths.

"Myles is one of those rare bigs who can protect the rim and knock down threes,” Carlisle said early this season. “He’s become elite at rolling to the basket with Tyrese as the ball handler, and his outside shooting really opens up the floor for everyone else. He’s a guy that’d be hard to replace."

A team that successfully handles adversity usually benefits in the long run. Despite having a losing record early on, the Pacers remained supportive of each other and rallied behind Haliburton amid the external noise. Turner feels this has only strengthened the team.

“I think that adversity is not always a bad thing,” Turner said. “I think that when a group goes through that, especially over the years, it does nothing but when you're in the trenches together, you get more respect for each other. It's huge.”

Another bonding opportunity for the Pacers included their two-game stop in Paris to face the San Antonio Spurs. It was an excellent experience for Turner and his teammates on a personal level, given they brought their families and experienced Europe together.

“I just enjoyed Europe as a whole. I think it was really cool just to get that experience,” Turner said. “I was able to go out there with my girl and was able to go out there with my family and my sister.

"I was able to bring everybody along. I think that was the coolest part, that we all got to experience it together.”

Part of the unique experience of playing international games is the opportunity to be in front of new fans and to experience a different culture. Given the NBA schedule, the chance to experience a new culture is something Turner has to wait until the offseason.

He emphasized that while French superstar Victor Wembanyama was a marque draw for the matchup, the Pacers felt great fan support.

“Just seeing a different fan base and different cultures is always something I try to immerse myself into in the summertime when I travel, but I love you guys out there, man,” Turner said. “I really love the basketball out there.

"It was the Wembanyama show, but there was still love for the Pacers. It's just a love of myself and, you know, it's my peers. It was a good overall experience.”

Turner stressed the importance of continuing to get off to good starts during games so that the Pacers could achieve their goals this season. Additionally, the group holds the need to execute at a high level defensively as a key priority ahead of the postseason. Above all else, doing what it takes to maximize health is also crucial.

“Got to start games the right way," Turner said. "I think that we keep harping on our defense, how important it is for us just to have that, have that chemistry going forward. You're going to have to guard in the playoffs. Overall health, man, you just got to get healthy.”

With Turner in his 10th season with the Pacers since being selected No. 11 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, he’s become a figure who has etched his name in the franchise history book.

He became the team’s all-time leader in blocks after patiently going through a transitional period with the franchise when figuring out the proper core was still a work in progress. Instead of being frustrated by a lack of winning or trade rumors, he saw it through and is proud of doing so.

“The blocks leader thing was something I really wanted to have for myself, so I'm continuing to grow on that,” Turner said. “I think I was proud of our resiliency of everything because I think I really could have packed it in a few years ago and just requested a trade and just tried to get out of there.

"I'm kind of just proud of the fact that I saw everything through, and being able to garner some success over the past couple of seasons has been nice.”

After this season, Turner will be eligible for free agency after finishing a two-year, $40.9 million contract. The structure of his deal doesn’t allow for a contract extension, so he must reach free agency before he can sign a deal. Regardless, Turner would appreciate the chance to continue leading Indiana and further impact the team’s history.

“Overall, just continue to climb the leaderboard [is a goal],” Turner said. “I think it's something that's huge to submit your name in history. Just to be able to have something to talk about with your kids and future generations and whatnot.”

Turner’s relationship with Indianapolis goes well beyond just the basketball court. His W.A.R.M. initiative (We All Really Matter) packs go bags that include essential supplies like lotion, deodorant, hand warmers, snacks, and positive notes in a pack that you can keep in your car to help make challenging times easier for homeless members of the community.

Turner has frequently involved his Turner’s Block fan section to create these packs:

“The community of Indianapolis took me in when I was a teenager, and it was only right that I gave back. It was only right that I gave them something of myself, and I am trying to continue to do that.”

Going forward, Turner is excited to grow his W.A.R.M. initiative, including getting into the pet space.

“W.A.R.M. is continuing to grow,” Turner said. “We're trying to grow into the pet space. Now, we're trying to get like dogs, cats, and different domesticated animals to get packs to them.”

Turner, a Dallas-Forth Worth native, is also eager to expand his impact in his hometown. His community efforts have included free basketball camps at Jermaine O’Neal’s Drive Nation facility. Turner’s hands-on involvement offers kids of all ages a fun, competitive environment to learn and grow as players.

“I'm moving in the direction of trying to get back in Texas,” Turner said. “I think it's big for me as well with my camp, incorporated, and it means everything to me.”

In the meantime, Turner remains positioned to help impact the Pacers for yet another postseason run as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.