As I think about Jermaine Taylor, it seems he won’t be a star, he’ll probably wind up in the D-League or Europe for a few years, and he has room for improvement. You may look at that and start hoping we don’t draft him, but it’s eerily reminiscent of another shooting guard we currently love to cheer for. But at the time, we didn’t have a clue what Ginobili would become.
Taylor is long, so he has the potential to be a great defender, as unwilling as he appears to be right now. But he also has some ups, a quick release, and comes off of screens well. That also reminds me of someone, so I tend to think Taylor holds the potential to be a sort of Reggie Miller lite.
Weight: 210 lbs
Taylor didn’t get to display his athleticism much at Central Florida, often facing a tight double team. Playing on a higher level should take some of the focus off of him, freeing him up for 1-2 dribble moves and powering off of screens. If that sounds familiar, it’s the sort of things that made a career for Miller, and the exact sort of thing the Spurs need their role players to bring off the bench.
Taylor doesn’t have a great handle, but neither did Kerr, and that turned out ok too, on many occasions. Clutch is a word you can often find describing him, and San Antonio always has room for a cold-blooded shooter.
So he brings some solid shooting, and some lousy defense. That could be a deal breaker here, but if he can improve his D, Taylor could become a spectacular 8th or 9th man in the rotation. I see a lot of potential here. I wouldn’t push for him too hard, but if he’s available at the end of the second round, he could turn into a steal if he puts the work in.
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