MIAMI — Myles Turner hesitated only momentarily to describe his journey from the Indiana Pacers bench to the injury report and finally to the NBA's Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for February.
"Astronomical," the 19-year-old rookie told Bleacher Report. "I like that word. Yeah, we'll say that."
He's not wrong. Since the All-Star break, Turner is second among rookies in blocks (1.7 per game), fifth in rebounds (5.5) and seventh in scoring (11.6). Adding significance to those stats, he's also the lone player among the top eight second-half freshman scorers who suits up for a team currently inside the playoff picture.