Myles Turner Selected 11th Overall By The Indiana Pacers In 2015 NBA Draft

Former Longhorn Myles Turner wasn't expected to sit around anxiously waiting to hear his name called for too long during Thursday night's NBA Draft, and he didn't have to as the Indiana Pacers used their No. 11 overall pick to select the versatile big man from Texas.

It's no surprise Turner was selected in the lottery, considering his extremely high-upside as potentially game-changing two way player. There have been concerns about issues with his knees and the way he runs, but those issues were quickly addressed and don't appear to be long-term issues with proper and continual workouts.

The Pacers proved by drafting Turner that they believe the reward is well worth the potential risk. If Turner can resolve the issues with his running motion, continue to develop his offensive arsenal -- which extends out to the perimeter -- and translate the defensive impact he had as the Big 12's leading shot blocker at Texas, that certainly should be the case.

Turner’s name being called Thursday night makes him the first Longhorn drafted since 2011, but the 15^th since 2000.

Here's an excerpt from a scouting report I recently wrote highlighting Turner's strengths on both ends of the floor.

Strengths: Offensively, Turner is still a considerably raw product and leaves much to be desired, but that only speaks to his tremendous potential, as he’s still one of the most offensively skilled big men in the draft. Despite standing at a towering 6-foot-11, Turner’s staple is his ability to stretch the floor and knock down mid-range jumpers, and even extend his range out to the perimeter at times. Turner’s versatility as a shooting big man with a quick, high release makes him an option as a spot-up shooter and in pick and pop situations.

Turner moves well without the ball, especially flashing to the high-post, which will aid in finding the soon-to-be rookie scoring opportunities as he looks to establish himself on an NBA roster. He’ll need to continue working towards establishing a low-post presence and adding a variety of moves to his arsenal, but Turner does boast an impressive turnaround jumper over his right shoulder.

Despite his rare shooting touch for a big man, it’s quite arguable that Turner’s most impressive feature is his free throw shooting, as he knocked down attempts at an 83.9 percent clip – a remarkable number for virtually anyone, much less a near 7-footer.

Turner’s athleticism was previously considered as area of his game needing improvement, but he certainly appears to have added a bit more explosiveness in his NBA Draft workout video.

Strengths: While his offensive backbone is his shooting touch, Turner’s staple defensively is unquestionably his rim-protection. Turner boast great timing and instincts around the rim, which ultimately led to the freshman leading the Big 12 in shot rejections at 2.6 per game. Even more impressive is how those numbers jumped to 4.7 per 40 minutes played, which only strengthens Turner’s case as a high-upside two-way player in the NBA. Turner also rotates well from the weak side and even when he doesn’t register a block, his length alone causes issues and alters shots.

Turner’s ability as a rebounder is also well worth noting. This can’t be so easily seen with his per game average of 6.5, but Turner works hard on the glass, has good rebounding instincts and does a great job of finding a body and boxing out, which is an undervalued but essential part of being an effective rebounder in the NBA. Per 40 minutes, Turner averaged 11.8 boards as a freshman.