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Al Jefferson adds a veteran presence and willingness to play a reserve role to the Pacers front-court rotation.
That role also includes helping mentor 20-year-old Myles Turner as the Pacers budding star takes on a bigger role. The unfortunate side of that equation for Jefferson is that he is learning how skilled Turner is when the two square off in games at the Fieldhouse.
"It sucks guarding him in 5-on-5 pickup," Jefferson said during an interview on The Grady & Big Joe show from the Pacers Foundation golf outing on Wednesday.
That comment capped off a description of Big Al's initial impressions of Turner after spending much of August and September working out at the Fieldhouse.
"Go back to the question you asked me earlier, about guys I didn't know were that good," Jefferson said. "Myles Turner is something special. Things that he can do as far as playing the 5 and he can play the 4 because he can shoot the three, can dribble the ball. He's like a 7-foot guard, in my opinion."
Speaking of good impressions, later in the day, Turner himself joined the Dan Dakich Show to discuss his game and figuring out the NBA and life in general as a 20-year-old talent.
Great stuff! Listen to both interviews below.