Lets face it... its the offseason for the Rockets and there is almost two months to go until July 1st when anything whatsoever will happen with the Rockets roster. I assume that whatever trades are made will involve either either prospects (budinger, Hill, picks) or cap space movers(battier, Jefferies), but what about Jermaine Taylor?? Since he is one of the lowest paid players on our team ($725,000 next year), and he will not be the highly sought after prospect piece that justifies Toronto signing and trading Bosh, he could potentially have a key role in the team for 2010/11 given the way our roster would be built. last season he barely got a chance to prove himself with the minutes given but I assume that will change due to either an offseason trade or injury to one or more of our guards. What kind of year will he have and what kind of player do you expect him to be next year??
In limited minutes towards the end of the season, he really seemed to be catching on. His passing was better, his defense was better, his court awareness was better, and overall he appeared to be playing with more control. Like REEKO said, year two will be telling, that’s if he’s around to see it in as a Rocket. There’s no doubt he’s an athlete, it remains to be seen if he can put the court IQ behind that athleticism. I think if we see Chase traded and no other 2 guard brought in, I think that will indicate Morey thinks Taylor has more upside than Chase. cmiller
Please get rid of Jermaine Taylor...he sucks. I seen him play with limited minutes...he shows NOTHING...he has no fundamental...he just want to attack and attack like even if there are a bunch of players inside the paint...he STILL attack....he's not smart....let alone a skill player.
glad you could gleem so much insite from just watching limited minutes. I on the other hand think he has some potential. I think he will tear it up in summer league. I hope he gets a chance to showcase his talents, but I doubt he will get that chance on this team. The coach and management clearly favor Chase. I dont think he will get siginificant playing time unless there is a trade coming up.
The guy can jump, and score. He's good to go in those areas. He will only see minutes if he focuses on defense more and making his game better all around. He did show flashes when he started against the Fakers. He stayed physical on D, and didn't back down on both ends. I think he could be a role player in our offense next year, but the next couple of years will tell whether or not he will ever realize his potential. I just hope those DNP's don't bring his confidence level down.
:grin: I look forward to seeing him next year. Hopefully working with professionals such as Yao and Scola will help him. He's one of the few players on this team that can create his shot. He has good defensive potential too. Hopefully he can learn a thing or two from Shane and Ariza this summer as well. You guys don't know how excited I am for next year. This is probably my favorite rockets team since Yao became a Rocket besides the 04-05 team. Theres so much potential for this team.
As for him being overlooked by other teams, well, you have a point. OTOH, if DM wants to get something for him, he will sell him, i.e., bring game film, etc., to package him to get something. But yes, there's a good chance he stays. I think the jury is way out on what kind of player he becomes. I'm not positive, but I'm willing to be shown.
Haven't really seen him play, he didn't play in the Nets game I was at, and I don't think he played agai nst the Jazz in April. but from what I've read from other sources and heard about his play on the radio, he can be good
Taylor needs to work on locking ppl down on defense. He has the ability to play great defense if he wants to. And then continue to work on that spot up 3. and he's good to go!
His time in the D league seemed to have helped his game in all areas. I like JT's potential and think he has a solid chance at cracking the rotation if not traded. JT showed me alot going toe to toe with Kobe, and his offensive flashes left me thinking this guy has the tools to be a solid NBA player
JTaylor has D-Wade like athleticism (maybe even more explosive) and size and similar slashing abilities , along with a decent jumpshot. He clearly has the best potential based on his combination of physical tools and skills. HOWEVER, the guy clearly looks for his shot 1st and 2nd, and passing as an outlet 3rd option. Yeah he showed FLASHES of some of good passing but overall he lacks a fundametal willingness to play as part of the offense. A lot of times he would just put his head down and rely on his strength and athleticism , only to end up getting REJECTED a lot of times because he puts himself into a bad situation. There's a reason he was forced to the D-league so many times despite being given an equal amount of opportunity to establish a niche when he was called up and even managed to start a couple of games when Battier/Ariza was down. Until he can change the mental makeup of his game and be willing to play good defense-consistently- and play to his strengths (ie not jacking up shots and getting to the line efficiently) he won't have a stable career, much less start.
I think the negative attitude about Taylor is more a product of how well Chase Budinger played last year than about anything that Taylor did or did not do well. Chase was exceptional last year and made the most of his opportunity to play on an injury-riddled Rockets team. Morey had said all along that he did not expect his rookies to play much if the Rockets were healthy. Hell, he's already come out ON RECORD as saying that, if the Rockets stay at #14, that player will not see meaningful minutes next season. And that's the FOURTEENTH FREAKIN' PICK OF THE DRAFT. Lay off the #32 pick of last year's draft not being the second coming of Michael Jordan.
Let me look into my crystal ball .... it says "JT will play limited minutes off the bench, mainly while filling in for Martin while injured" dammit, this thing never works ...
Right now he reminds me a lot like Josh Smith, but with a crappier shot. He is freakishly athletic, finishes strong, but seems pretty stupid. His willingness to defend and being pretty good at it is definitely a breath of fresh air. However, he just finished his rookie season. Give him a couple of more years before we crucify or worship him.
great point. don't write him off just yet. he might be able to contribute next year. however, his low salary and his potential make him a desirable asset. one that might get thrown around in trade talk on draft night, or in S&T's shortly after.
