Photo:TheSportsBank.net
By James Blackburn
Game Scouted: Wisconsin vs. Syracuse (NCAA Tournament)
Box Score
Syracuse wins 64-63
Scouting Report
Jordan Taylor (G, 6’1”, SR)
Stats
40 min, 6-15 FG, 5-9 3pt, 4 reb, 6 assist, 1 st, 1 blk, 1 TO, 17 TP
Strengths
Offense flows through him- makes team go. Crashes the offensive boards when he is playing off the ball. Deceptive defender-quick hands. Contest shots on the defensive end and boxes his man out for the most part. Good passer- makes smart/effective/easy passes/simple passes- does an excellent job of utilizing ball fakes. Unselfish. Underrated playmaking ability-did a great job of putting players in position for easy scores. Has a very good understanding of the game-extension of the coach on the floor- high IQ. Very good system player who will do what is asked of him. Patient/Poised- is never in a rush- didn’t force shots against Syracuse zone in this game. Good form on shot- gets feet set- good follow through- high/quick release. Showed the ability to shoot the ball, including the 3 off the dribble and with feet set and the ability to create his own shot- he is an above average shooter and is consistent. Not the tallest or longest player at 6’1”, but has a high release and gets good elevation on shot enabling him to shoot and make shots over defenders and with a hand in his face Takes good care of the ball- has almost a 3 to 1 assists to turnover ratio. Moves well with out the ball- when playing off the ball- did a great job of getting in the open gaps in the zone. Strong upper body- NBA ready strength.
Weaknesses
His quickness and athleticism are not at an NBA level. Struggles to get to rim- doesn’t have the speed to blow by defender and get to painted area at will. Didn’t seem comfortable in creating/scoring/utilizing P/R situations. Has a low motor- doesn’t seem to go all out or assert himself every possession- plays just about every minute- he may be resting on some possessions. Did not do great job in the first half of this game on the defensive end- allowed his man to get to the rim to easily and seemed to give up and didn’t get a hand up when he struggled to get over a screen- may be fatigue- never came out this game. Struggled to a degree to match up with the athleticism or Syracuse guards. Struggles in a fast break/up and down style game.
Overview
Averaging a team-best 15.5 ppg and 4.5 asp, while shooting 35.9% from 3 and 79% from the line. Also leads the team in steals and minutes played. Named First- Team All-Big Ten. Last season as a junior, he was named to multiple All-American teams and to the First- Team All-Big Ten and to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.
Low key/quite demeanor. Great sportsman ship showed this game multiple times, yet he is a leader on the floor- floor general. Poised at all times- never looks rattled or shaken no matter score/situation. Right handed player who prefers to go left. Heated up from 3-point range this game- many of these shots coming beyond the college line and came when the team desperately needed a score or at crunch times.
It is difficult to evaluate everything Taylor can do when scouting this game, partly because Syracuse only plays zone. I would like to see how Taylor performs against a man to man defense and how well he can break his defender down and get to the rim. I was however able to notice skills that would be there no matter what defense is deployed against him. Taylor has a high basketball IQ, is an excellent passer, and an above average shooter with NBA 3 point range. He can play off the ball and with the ball in his hands and is comfortable in either situation. He is a smart enough defender and has quick enough hands to defend the PG guard position at the next level, despite his physical shortcomings (size, quickness, athleticism). He would struggle to score and defend any thing other then a PG at the next level. I think he would be a good pickup for an NBA team in the mid to late second round depending on the team. I believe he could contribute off the bench for a team that played a half-court style game primarily instead of an up-tempo style. Organizations such as San-Antonio, Portland, or Boston would be good examples. He won’t ever be an all-star and may not ever become a starter for a team, but he would be a good locker-room presence, a hard worker, and a great teammate in my opinion.
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