No. 2 advantage to the LA Clippers trading for Myles Turner: His shot-blocking ability
Myles Turner does something that the LA Clippers don’t do too well with, and that’s blocking shots.
The Clippers are tied for 22nd in blocks per game this year. Turner? He leads the league with 2.8 blocks per game.
As good as Zubac has become, he’s still not at Turner’s level when it comes to rejecting shot attempts. He has a solid 1.1 blocks per game, but Turner is playing at another level. Hartenstein’s averaging more than that at 1.2, but Ibaka hasn’t been the same this year.
Ibaka is averaging a career-low 0.3 blocks per game. He came into the year averaging 2 a contest, with seasons of him getting all the way up to 2.7, 3, and 3.7 blocks per game. Of course, he needs time to get healthier and up to game shape.
That being said, we’re 11 games in now, and the reality is that Turner is blocking 0.2 more shots per game than our three centers COMBINED. Turner would improve our rim protection. The question is about whether we want to risk breaking our developing chemistry, or possibly give up too much in return for Turner.