How should a coach handle a player like Mo Taylor?

Haven,

I feel a lil differently than you do. I like Mo's offense, and like you, his lack of passing is frustrating. I am a lil concerned that he seems to be shying awam from the low post more and more and settling instead for outside jumpers.

However, is lack of boardwork and defense is the most frustrating IMO. His help defense is often, quite late and if you look at alot of the open 3s we give up, you see Mo running in a step too late to contest.

In tonight's game, there was a play late in the game, where Yao got picked and Santiago got free for a layup. Mo wasn't even looking and if he had been, he would have known that was his man to switch off on.

Lets face it. Mo is very one dimensional. If his shot is off, he brings lil else to the team. If Mo is on a team with a capable starting 4, who is a decent scorer and rebounder, then Mo is no more than a 15-20 MPG player.

Overall, I feel Mo is just not a quick thinker on the court.

Of course, many on our team suffer from the same problem.

 

maurice taylor is awsome, i love his offense.

 

Last season people used to try to actually argue with me that Mo was a good passer.

 

Mo T is everything y'all said but the label black hole is too harsh.

He does not pass the ball much but, most of the time, he is not supposed to. Opponents rarely double on MoT because of all the other players we have. A good post player is supposed to make his move and shoot over single coverage. What is the use of him passing out of single coverage to a team mate that is also covered?

 

While Mo isn't a great passer, I don't view him as such a big black hole. And he's actually pretty good at feeding yao from the top of the circle. I'm also satisfied with most of his shots, I'd say other than Yao his shot selection is the best on the team.

I would love if he did rebound a bit better though. In any case I'm very happy with how he's played for us so far.

 

I think Mo actually does a decent job of feeding Yao, he just doesn't do it consistently enough... There were a few occaisions tonight were Yao had great position in the middle of the lane and Mo hesitated and then took a shot (which he made). But there have been times, the Blazer game for example, in which Mo has a done a nice job of getting Yao the ball.

 

How do you solve
A problem like Maurice?
How do you catch
A cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word
That means Maurice?
A flibberti gibbet!
A willo' the wisp!
A clown!

Many a thing you know
You'd like to tell him,
Many a thing he ought
To understand.
But how do you make him stay,
And pass the ball when you say?
How do you keep a wave
Upon the sand?
Oh, how do you solve
A problem like Maurice?
How do you hold
A moonbeam in your hand?

 

Bring in assistant coach Trump :



Hey Mo,

You're Fired.

 

Here is my theory.

JVG (and the rest of the world) knows that Mo is a competent offensive player and the rest of his game is basically a liability. Let's face it, if for some bizzaro world reason, he was not allowed to shoot, when would you ever put him in?

So JVG plays him (pre Cato injury) for twenty minutes and basoically runs fourty minutes of offense through him. That way you get a full game of positives for only a half game of negatives. I figure Mo is in there to shoot, and really nothing else.

As a side note, I forgot the game - and am to lazy to llok it up, but not to long ago he had about five assists when Yao had a big night. Basically they were doing a pick and roll with Yao and SF, and when they would pick up Steve and block the passing lane back to Yao, Steve would kick it to Mo who had a clear pass to Yao, as the opposing center was still trying to get back in position.

Simple play, but it was designed around Mo making the pass. And it worked.

 

This is why I love this board.

Back to the original poster. I think this perfectly illustrates why Mo is most effective coming off the bench. He can take over the offensive responsibilities for the team when Yao is sitting. Even if we do get a guy like Rasheed, I'd like to keep Mo because Rasheed isn't a take over the game kind of guy with his offense. Mo would still have that role, while Rasheed would do all the grunt work that he has been doing in Detroit. Although the way he is playing, and the way that team is doing, makes me wonder if he will even be available.

 

Send him to the Bobcats in the expansion draft. Free up his salary.

Trade for Webber.

 

he needs a good prod with an electric cattle prod

 

I agree with Codell. Mo blew so many assignments tonight. Joe Smith had a big dunk late in the game too where Mo just totally lost him. You just cannot lose YOUR man late in the game. He seems to have his mind on when we get the ball back and how he's gonna score.

Don't get me wrong. I like his attitude with the team and I think it's good to have players willing to take shots in tough situations. I think Mo is fearless in that regard. It's just really frustrating to see a guy as big and athletic as Mo not be able to defend or rebound. It's seems like he's not putting the effort in.

 

Mo is a perfect fit off the bench, since he seems to be pretty one-dimensional.

I've given up on him ever being more than a scorer, primarily from the perimeter.

The problem is that he's a major defensive liability (at least guarding guys off the ball), which kills us in clutch situations.

Ideally we would have a PJ Brown-type PF who would platoon at PF with Mo. I guess Cato fits it somewhat decently.

 

I dis Taylor's defensive ability as much as anybody, but I will give him credit for being willing to take the charge.

 

Whoa about Mo. 6th Man candidate (Bobby Jax is the winner, Mo 2nd?). Excellent scorer, good teammate. And a definitely improved all-around baller this season. He is boxing out under the Boards (some), passing (some), moving without the ball (particularly when Yao has the ball low).

MoT is finally looking like a ballplayer, albeit way overpaid with his contract. If Seattle or Boston (really) is interested in him I would listen (really, really hard). If neither and I'm 'stuck' with him then I can accept his game.