He didn’t need an introduction, but Victor Oladipo gave him one anyway.

“Ladies and gentlemen, walking in, Myles Turner. Looking real nice … rocking his headband, wearing the Number 33. Socks real hot, looking real nice.”

The teammates embraced and then Turner hopped on the stage and offered his best Jim Nantz impression as he plopped down in a chair.

“Hello friends,” Turner said to the two dozen reporters and writers present on media day. He had been away for much of the offseason, primarily spending his time back home in Texas, so this was his first time talking to local reporters in almost five months.

And still, the Pacers starting big man was at the center of offseason conversations for two reasons. One, he’s beginning his fourth year in the league and still has plenty of untapped potential. He’s a captain and has expanded his game offensively, but the Pacers want to see him consistently rebound, defend the basket and make guys better.

That was at the center of his exit interview with coach Nate McMillan last season.

“We had our talks and we were both on the same page about the defensive side of the ball,” Turner said. “I think that’s one area where I need to approve and one area that I’m going to continue to improve as my career and as the season progresses. Defense was both of our biggest things.”

Turner was one of the league’s best at blocking shots last season. He finished 10th with 1.7 per game, but he averaged almost 2.3 per game over the first two months of the season. In his first four games, he swatted three shots or more three times. He got away from that, though, when the calendar turned to 2018. Not once in the final 21 games, including a seven-game playoff series against Cleveland, did he have three blocks in a game.

On top of impacting shots at and around the rim, Pacers president Kevin Pritchard wants Turner to become more of a threat on the glass.

“Rebound (and) be a presence every single minute on the defensive end,” Pritchard said. “The great centers in this league can be a force around the rim, but also defensive rebound.”

The request for an improvement on the boards is not restricted to Turner. The Pacers finished 22nd in team rebounding and 25th in defensive rebounding last season. McMillan has told his team that poor rebounding is on the guards as much as the bigs.

Secondly, Turner was so often discussed because of the frequency in which he shared photos and videos of his summer work on social media. It’s what so many players, especially the players who are still green, are doing. For some it’s a tease of what might be to come or a way to hold themselves accountable in a very public way. Others just want the attention.

The former is what’s true for Turner, the oldest of two kids. Notice his new Twitter photo — where he gestures perhaps his favorite emoji? 🤫 It’s essentially him recognizing how everyone is sleeping on him and the Pacers. Again. Turner’s posts allowed all of us — team executives, media and fans alike — to keep tabs on Turner from afar.

You remember Oladipo’s side-by-side photo after three weeks? Here’s Turner after five weeks…

5 weeks down, still gotta lot of work to do! #Summer18 pic.twitter.com/CWFM5gPue0 — Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) June 18, 2018

Antonio Davis was selected 45th overall by the Pacers in the 1990 NBA Draft. He initially played several seasons overseas and then spent six years with the Pacers (1993-’99).

He spent many years as an analyst for ESPN and is now in his first full year helping current players prepare for life after basketball with the National Basketball Players Association, where he once served as union president.

Teammates with Dale Davis during his time in Indy, they were affectionately known as the Davis Brothers – two physical big guys for the Pacers who took pride in doing the dirty work. Antonio Davis still follows the Pacers closely and shared his observations about Turner, who’s just 22 years old.

“I still don’t think he’s scratched the surface,” Antonio Davis said while attending the NBA Draft combine. “Once he figures it out, he’s talented enough to step out but also still have some mid-post game if they allow that.”

As many fans and pundits pushed for Turner to gain muscle to his listed 250-pound tall and lengthy frame, Davis shared how Turner’s inspiration to lift should be for stamina in games rather than to simply bulk up.

“With all of this finesse, a lot of these kids think they don’t have to be strong,” Davis said. “But it’s really just the opposite. You lift for longevity and strength. They think when you talk about weight, you’re talking about getting big and all that. And you’re not.”

Turner weight hasn’t fluctuated significantly from last year, but his body fat has decreased into the single digits. That’s something he’s very proud of.

Last season

The 2017-’18 season was Turner’s most challenging yet. He had to overcome injuries from the start. First, he suffered a concussion against Brooklyn on opening night, and then an elbow injury set him back “quite a bit,” he said. The concussion sidelined him for the first seven games, and the injury to his shooting (right) elbow kept him out for nine games. The Pacers went 9-7 in his absence.

His numbers were slightly down all around. He averaged 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game last season. His usage percentage — a measure of how much a player is involved within the offense using field-goal attempts, free-throw attempts and turnovers — was sixth on the team (17.6 percent), three spots below his backup, Domantas Sabonis (21.8 percent). Since Sabonis is so gifted with the ball and making decisions, McMillan wants to run the offense through Sabonis, who will also see time at power forward this season.

Exactly two weeks into the season, Thad Young, who is entering his 12th season, says there are noticeable changes to Turner’s game.

“He’s much more physical, as far as me seeing him in training camp,” Young said. “His physical presence and his presence of mind just to roll to the basket or go for an offensive rebound and just be aggressive in everything that he’s doing, I think that’s one of the biggest things that he didn’t have last year. His aggressive nature has picked up.

“He’s always had an aggressive nature of trying to score the basketball from a jump-shot level. But now he’s catching the ball, taking dribbles, trying to get to the basket. He’s posting guys up and he’s trying to expand his game a little bit more. I think this is definitely a leap year for him. If he can continue to do those things, the sky’s the limit for him.”

Last year at this time, Pritchard mentioned how the team needed to develop All-Stars. Under his leadership, he insisted on a culture of development and that’s what they’ve become in 17 months since he took over. Oladipo has ferociously worked and worked, and was ultimately voted an All-Star and then third-team All-NBA. Turner elevating his game to an All-Star level would help the Pacers take a leap in an Eastern Conference that lacks dominant dominant centers.

“Just mentally I feel like he’s more confident,” Sabonis said of Turner. “He’s taking his time. I think the game has slowed down for him a lot now and he just makes better reads.”

Focused offseason

After talking to Turner and those around him, what I keep coming back to is how Turner had a focused offseason. He knew exactly what he wanted to get done, knew exactly what it was going to take, and he did what he needed to do in order to accomplish that. Of course, the Pacers would have preferred that he spent the majority of the offseason with them in Indy, but he remained home in Bedford, Texas. There’s a comfort and familiarity there, and it’s also a way to help eliminate distractions.

His summer included several visits to Las Vegas, the center of the NBA universe in July. He was initially there to watch and support the Pacers’ summer-league team, the only Pacer to do so, and to work out with his trainers at Impact Basketball. Then, he returned in late July as one of 35 players invited to the USA Basketball National Team training camp.

Myles Turner and Lavoy Allen abusing Pacers coach Bill Bayno pic.twitter.com/uKswVs7LZF — Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) July 12, 2018

In August, Oladipo organized a players-only week in Miami. Everyone but Bojan Bogdanovic was there, and it was beneficial to all in attendance.

“That’s the first time I’ve been a part of something like that as a team in the NBA,” said Pacers newcomer Doug McDermott. “I thought it was great what Vic did, got us all together. We had something every night to jell as a team and it was a great week.”

Before bonding time at night, they worked for several hours on the court and then played pick-up games. One of Oladipo’s skills trainers, Micah Lancaster, singled out Turner for his performance. “Myles Turner was exceptional,” he said. “I think his upside is huge. I think he hasn’t even scratched the surface and he showed it in workouts.”

Assistant coach Popeye Jones is 6 foot 8 and played 11 seasons in the NBA. He works with Turner and the rest of the bigs during the season.

“My conversations with him has always been, ‘You don’t want people to say OK now he’s 24, 25 and he still hasn’t grown up,’ ” Jones said last spring before the offseason. “So you can grow up anytime you decide that you want to be more physical and more aggressive. The film study hasn’t changed from Day 1, the things that I showed him that he needs to do.

“One thing teams are doing to him is making him play inside because he’s such a great shooter. So go play inside. Against switches go to the offensive glass, snatch those dirty rebounds.”

It starts with the mind

For Turner, it started with his mind even before the offseason. That may sound familiar because Oladipo did the same thing before his breakout 2017-’18 season.

“The biggest thing with the mindset is just taking a step back,” said Turner, a psychology major at the University of Texas. “I’ve been at this for three years now. I’ve kind of seen the changes, the improvements and areas I need to get better. It’s not a set process, it’s just something you need to mature into. I think I’ve matured a little bit this summer and now it’s just about executing.”

Turner is a thoughtful guy who loves a good challenge, on the court or while at home. He appreciates brain teasers and games that make him think, which is why he enjoys completing puzzles and building Legos in his free time.

Physically, he had originally planned to do Pilates this summer but his skills trainer advised against it, and introduced him to Bridget Gibbs for yoga. In order to evaluate Turner and observe his play on the court, Gibbs first insisted on watching a workout.

“His core wasn’t very good, he was kind of tripping on the court and stuff like that,” she said by phone a week after Turner returned to Indy. “Dealing with his feet, dealing with his hips, dealing with his core, dealing with his mind, his breath. I’m a big stickler on breath.”

Turner has practiced yoga for several years, but he took it to another level with Gibbs in Fort Worth, Texas. Twice a week, they had one-on-one sessions that lasted 90 minutes, 30 minutes longer than her typical session.

First, he learned trapeze yoga, which helped open him up. Then, they advanced to Ashtanga, a method of synchronizing one’s breath with a challenging set of progressing poses. The breathing techniques led to mental focus.

The purpose behind all of this was the mental challenge, flexibility, body strength and injury prevention. Initially, Turner was skeptical, unsure of why he was doing certain movements. He found it both challenging and exhausting, and frankly didn’t want to do it anymore — but then he felt the benefits.

“I think I’m just moving better,” he said. “I feel better out there on the floor, I feel a lot looser, and that’s all going to go into me defending a lot more this year.”

Just imagine: In the middle of a Texas summer, the two worked out of a garage that had heat lamps and no air conditioning.

“Our brain is meant to protect us but at the same time, it also keeps us from being the best us,” she said. “So (it’s about) being able to quiet that and to come out of your own head and just push yourself and push through your pain.

“I focus on trying to get you out of your head, get you out of your own way and let you be in your mat and teach you how to breathe and teach you how to press through the pain. And to take your mind somewhere else. Yoga is not necessarily an exercise, it’s more of a discipline. So we’re disciplining our mind through our body.”

The demands of being an NBA player are not relatable for most of us. Others always want something from you – an autograph, a photo, a house, money, etc. Also, imagine being observed and evaluated daily by strangers. They don’t know what you are supposed to be doing or why something didn’t work, only that it didn’t. That’s why Gibbs stressed to Turner the importance of being present.

When he arrived for sessions, it was just them. Tune out basketball, tune out relationships, why you’re tired and what you want to do this weekend. Be present for the session and it’s impact will be felt.

Turner did a forearm stand within six weeks and accelerated his way through her program.

“He changed and now he’s doing things that are crazy intense for a 7-foot person to be doing and it’s because he really trusted the process and took his head out of it,” Gibbs added. “I’m sad that he’s back in season because I’m going to miss the crap out of him.

“He’s like the only person I can practice with.”

Domantas Sabonis, also nearly a 7-footer, is a self-described yogi. His practice began in 2014 as a member of the Gonzaga basketball team where it was normal for the team to hold yoga sessions two to three times a week. His practice continued in 2016, when he entered the NBA and was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sabonis, less than six weeks younger than Turner, practices primarily for flexibility. And because it is tiring, he cuts it out of his routine during the season and instead does most stretching.

“Hot yoga is way better,” Sabonis says. “You feel like you’re doing more. Your body is warmer so your muscles are more relaxed and more flexible so you can get into positions you can’t when you’re not warm, so it just increasing your flexibility.”

After their time together in Miami, Sabonis agreed to fly to Texas and join Turner for a week of workouts – on the court, in the weight room and in Gibbs’ yoga garage.

“I knew he was going to be fine,” Turner said. “Domas is strong, man. You can look at him and tell that. He’s been working on his body all summer, too. He was able to go in there and kill a lot of stuff that I was doing.”

Like Turner, Sabonis is a rising star in the NBA. He has great footwork and is a skilled passer. He has an energy and a positive attitude, too good to only play for 24.5 minutes per game, as he did last year. There’s going to be times when those two are paired together.

“If we can pull that off, it’ll be scary,” Oladipo said. “I think it’ll really be effective.”

SOLID week of work with the Big Fella Back In Texas! Estamos Listos!!! @Dsabonis11 pic.twitter.com/wxxxbOcqWd — Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) September 7, 2018

In addition to seeing their social media posts, Pritchard is in contact with his players during the summer. A former NBA player himself, Pritchard sees guys using that tome of the year to reinvent themselves.

“We used to say this 20 years ago: Players get better in the summer, not during the season,” he said. “It’s probably more prevalent now than ever. Guys go into the summer saying, ‘This is my opportunity to really change my game.’ And they do it. We’re seeing players come back completely different.”

Yoga with Bridget was a small piece of Turner’s offseason puzzle fueled by his motivation to be a better player and help the Pacers advance past the first round of the playoffs. That’s as far as he’s gotten in each of his first three seasons.

Commitment to improved eating habits

Before Turner broke a sweat in workouts this summer, he ponied up and hired a personal chef, Vertima Dumas (Chef V), down in Texas. It is almost always the recommendation by agents and teams, but many players don’t pull the trigger until hearing rave reviews from a teammate.

Players eating habits are often laughable in the league. Visiting players who came through Bankers Life Fieldhouse consistently ordered chicken fingers and fries or cheeseburgers less than two hours before games. They can get by with that for a few years. But then reality strikes and they realize how much better they feel when eating a nutritious diet.

Turner moved Chef V and her husband to Indianapolis for the year, further proof of his commitment to better eating habits. At the Pacers’ gorgeous practice facility, they have a chef whipping up breakfast in the morning and preparing high-quality meals between camp practices and before games. However, Turner has been on his own for the first few weeks because Chef V didn’t arrive until last week. His go-to meal to cook at home starts with a turkey burger.

“I’ve always been able to cook. I grew up cooking for my family,” he said. “As I grew older, I just got lazy. It’s easy to go get fast food.”

He has mostly eliminated fried foods, greasy foods, much of the red meats and is sticking to leaner meats while also consuming more fruits and vegetables. The Pacers have a dietitian, Lindsay Langford, to consult with throughout the season. She has been around for much of training camp.

“Myles is amazing,” Oladipo said. “He’s changed his body. You can see it. He’s just more confident, his head is in the right place and it’s great for him.”

Eat good, feel good; feel good, play good; play good, paid good; paid good, live good.

Myles Turner has T.Y.T.! written on his PG 2 shoe as a reminder to take his time. (Scott Agness / The Athletic Indiana)

Contracts

For the first day of training camp practice, Turner wrote “T.Y.T.!” on the toe of his left shoe. It’s a personal reminder, while in practice or in games, to slow down and take your time.

“There’s times I feel like I get out there and I rush,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of times in a game when I look down and see that.”

Footwear is notable, too, because Turner just agreed to a new multiyear deal with Nike.

“I wanted to continue the relationship,” he said. “I think Nike is the best shoe out there. I’ve pretty much always worn Nikes. I couldn’t really see myself going with any other company at this time. It’s really about comfort.”

Speaking of deals, Turner has not received an extension on his rookie contract. The team has until the Oct. 15 deadline to negotiate with Turner’s agent, J.R. Hensley. However, nothing is imminent and it is expected to be shelved until next summer.

That allows for the Pacers front office to maintain roster flexibility — they have five contracts guaranteed for the 2019-’20 season totaling just $37 million as the cap is expected to rise to $109 million — and evaluate Turner after his fourth season. He would remain a restricted free agent, allowing the team to match any potential offers.

“I don’t think about it,” Turner says. “I told everybody in my circle that I don’t want to hear about things until something is done. I don’t want to hear about negotiations. If something is done, then present it to me.

“I want to just focus on the basketball side of things and control what I can control.”

Oladipo sat in the visitor’s locker room at the Toyota Center in Houston on April 25, 2017. He had just shot 4 of 17 and the Thunder were knocked out of the playoffs. He was hit with a dose of reality after being “awful” all series despite his hard work all year. He concluded that he must invest in his mind and his body.

So, it began with a commitment and then an assessment, where he discovered how he was inflamed and should eliminate flour and sugar from his diet, and drink a gallon of water each day. So he did and refocused his mind — providing Turner with an introduction and proof of what can be done as a result of a focused summer.

Now it’s time to see where it takes him.

“Myles is investing in himself right now,” Oladipo said at a news conference while accepting the NBA Most Improved Player Award in June. “So don’t be surprised if he’s sitting up here receiving this same award next year.”

(Top photo of Myles Turner: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today Sports)