let me say from the beginning that I am not trying to dog mo taylor out. . . however, I am trying to understand something. as I've been reading posts over the last week or so, it seems that mo taylor is very, very highly thought of in these parts. if you take that as given A [that mo taylor is highly thought of on the BBS], I also submit that most of the posts I read on this BBS seem to be written by smarter-than-your-average-fan Rocket fans. I'll submit that as given B. I no longer live in houston, and I don't get to watch nearly as many rockets games as I used to or would like to. but in the games I did watch, taylor seemed to me to be very, very average. not bad. more just serviceable. he never did anything that really impressed me. so, if you accept givens A and B, what am I missing? was there a particular quality that taylor brought to the team that everyone saw that I didn't? it's certainly possible, no more than I was able to watch the team. but it seems like everyone feels like losing taylor would be catastrophic to the team. he just didn't seem that great to me. so I guess I'm posing the question to any knowledgable rockets fans who love maurice taylor and would be pissed to see him go: what is it that you see in him? I'm not attacking him. he seems okay. he just doesn't seem like a player to inspire much passion from what I've seen. what am I missing? ------------------ houston rockets = 2 utah jazz = 0
Taylor brought to the team an offensive scoring threat that we sorely needed. He started slowly but steadily increased his scoring, his rebounding (from poor to so-so), and even his defense improved. It's my feeling that at the end of a year he and his teammates were just figuring out how to best work together. He is a very positive individual and with his upside can really grow and develop as part of the nucleus of the team for years to come. Now with Griffin on board, we have someone whose strengths, rebounding and shotblocking, complement Taylor's weaknesses. Offensively Taylor began to mature last year and really learned to drive rather than settle for the J. He also improved his passing and I believe his assists increased. He is a great midrange shooter who can really fill it up when he's on. I see Juwon Howard a great deal here in Dallas and I would take Taylor over Howard as a better fit, and with a far greater upside potential.
There is a lot to like about him. First and foremost, you have to talk about his chemistry with the team. He fits in great. He's not selfish, he doesn't demand a lot of touches, he loves the city, and is extremely coachable. A class act on and off the court. However, there are obviously other things besides intangibles. Offensively, there aren't many things he can't do. He's one of the best playmakers for the PF spot in the league, easy. He can dribble the ball like a guard, has an awesome jumper out to 20 feet. It is money. He can get that off against anyone one on one because they have to respect his dribbling, and in the zones next year his outside jumper will be even more important. And if they try to take away his jumper, his ballhandling allows him to drive right by the defenders to score inside. He also is great at setting picks and getting open for the jumper when the defender leaves to double Steve or Cat. Finally, he also has some good post moves, including a little jump hook, but the Rockets don't utilize him that much down low. Defensively he's definitely an average to above average defender, position-wise. He works really hard, and he has a nice body for the power forward spot in the West. I got to sit almost level with the floor on a Rockets-Spurs game this year, and I got to watch his footwork, and his body, and how he held up against Tim Duncan. He did one of the better jobs I'd seen done all season on TD. His rebounding needs work, but it's not because of lack of effort. He has poor positioning, probably due to poor teaching in the past, but I do think he will improve in this area in the years to come. He is very eager to learn, and is just 24 years old. On top of his actual game, he is a great fit with team chemistry, and he is one of the hardest working Rockets on the team. I have little doubt that he will improve, and he's definitely worth bringing back. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site [This message has been edited by The Cat (edited July 19, 2001).]
Nice anaylsis Cat. ------------------ "Instinctly u recognize things,now take advantage of what u just recognized!".. Hakeem..
CM, Mo T's main problem was/is rebounding. I truely believe we have that covered now with EG. MO T's assets are as follows: Can be primary, secondary or tertiary scoring option (read he can adjust his game) He draws defenders out (great in the new zone) He is young (24 - room for growth/improvement Last year was his first year in Houston (He will improve as he gets more comfortable/acquanted to the system He recognizes his deficiencies and is working hard to improve in those areas (I will take any guy with this Karl Malone mentality of work ethic. He wants to play here (Personal happiness goes a long way and is directly porpotional to the quality of one's effort) He can score in bunches (nuf said) He is a true wide-body (He just needs to learn how to use it) He listens to his coaches (Players willing to learn are great in my book) He has repeatedly shown the ability to be the 4 that we desire (just not on a consistent basis....yet) Granted he does not have the numbers of a CW, but does he need to be that guy? There is only one CW caliber player with the Kings We have at least 2 guys in SF & Cat. EG could be the third...who knows only time will tell on EG, but the signs are there. Point is... Mo T is a competetive PF in the Western Conf. We could do much worse than him. Position-wise he solidifies the 4 spot with KT. That is a good place to be. We are solid in four positions and excell at two, possibly three. I will leave it to you to figure out our weakest link (rhymes with dato). Given the above, I think that answers the stated question. Just MHO! ROCKET!!! ------------------ [This message has been edited by ROCKET!!! (edited July 19, 2001).]
all of that makes sense. I sort of figured there must be something that people were seeing with more viewings that I was. he definitely seems like a good attitude to have around. my only concern about him is his toughness, physical and mental. if we had a center and a small forward who were eating rebounds off the glass, I don't think it would hurt us too much to have a finesse 4. but I don't know if, as a team, we collectively rebound well enough. also, I have a question about taylor's ability [and the rest of our team, for that matter] to rise to the occasion of big games. back when we were winning titles, we had people who were at their best when it counted most. say what you will about players like kenny smith, chucky brown or robert horry. but those guys learned how to play their best in the biggest games. I think taylor, francis, mobley et. al. still have some learning to do where that's concerned. but I feel like you guys are answering the question about taylor. but before the rockets are ever going to take the step beyond the 1st rd. of the playoffs [not that they've made it that far yet], they're going to have to add somebody mean to the team. somebody who lives to rebound and defend. thanks for the insights on taylor. ------------------ houston rockets = 2 utah jazz = 0
Taylor has good potential but will have to improve his post skills and rebounding.He appears to be happy to be on the team and if we get a young center who can rebound and play some defense Taylor can increase his scoring.When he is aggressive and takes the ball to the basket he has shown he can dunk,he is also a very good free thrower and has a great mid range shot,I hope we will be able to sign him but we shouldn't throw Cato like money at him. ------------------
I can recall Mo hitting several big shots this year. He was hugely clutch in the first OT of the Indiana game, and took the final shot to win the game (it missed, but at least he had the guts to take the shot). Against the Lakers, Mo hit a key jumper to cut the lead to one with 40 seconds left, but Cuttino's horrific defense on Bryant sealed that game. Mo also hit a go-ahead jumper against the Kings with 50 seconds left, but that was cancelled out when the refs allowed Bloody Divac to climb all over Mo's back to get the board and go to the line (a pitiful no-call). Mo has shown the ability to come up big in clutch situations. Unfortunately, his team mates haven't always done that at the same time. Oh, and have you seen any of his dunks? He probably had four of the top five Rocket dunks of this year. ------------------ Protrolls.com! Keep the ???? alive!
A couple of more things about MoT is that he shot almost 50% from the field and in the second half of the season Rudy T would start the game out with about 5 or 6 offensive plays for Mo. More often than not Mo delivered by hitting the first 3 or 4 shots of the game for the Rocks and setting the tone of the game. I can't tell you how many games he started out 4 and 0 or 5 and 0 from the field to score the first 8 or 10 points for the Rockets. ------------------
gotta agree w/ ZRB on the dunks.. man i nearly choked when i saw him dunk over ewing at seattle one time... nasttttttty ------------------ --TEX
Crash, Exactly my point (see the scoring in buches bullet). But more importantly, as you pointed out....He sets the tone for the game. He has a settling effect for the team and gets them into "their" game/rhythm. ------------------ [This message has been edited by ROCKET!!! (edited July 19, 2001).]
He also is great at setting picks I thought he was horrible at setting picks. He was way too slow coming over, which allowed his man to cheat over the top and delay penetration. He also doesn't know how to roll, and too often drifted to the sideline instead of flashing to the basket. He can improve this part of his game, but he failed in this department last season IMO. ------------------ [This message has been edited by tacoma park legend (edited July 19, 2001).]
Athleticism, Quickness, Intensity, Power... ...Mo Taylor [This message has been edited by SteveFrancis3 (edited July 21, 2001).]
The problem with Mo last year in missing some assignments was 1.)He was new to the system and 2.)It was the first time that Cat and Francis worked with a quality big man with a solid offensive game outside of Hakeem Olajuwan so it took Mo awhile to fit in, and it took the backcourt even longer to FIT him in! ------------------ "Instruments are like women: After a while, you want to make love to another." - Nicolas Godin of the musical duo Air
I think he should use his body more in the low post. I remember one game against minnesota where he was playing physical and keeping up with KG. I think after the game Garnett said he wasn't trying to play Mo too close because of the game he was playing. He does it once in a while and it could help him on a more consistant basis. Also next year I hope he has a more active role in the second half of the game so he loses the "First Quarter Mo" nickname. I know this probably had more to do with coaching, but there were times when he should have been used more in close games, except the one where he took a last second 3 that could've won the game. ------------------ I have seen much of the rest of the web. It is brutal and cruel and dark. CC.net is the light.
I know I've said some junk about Taylor in the past, but I really do love his game. That outside shot of his is perfect in the 1st quarter, if only he could showcase it more in the other quarters. Also I know what ZRB's talking about when he mentions the times Mo seemed to be clutch. I can't remember the exact game, but I remember a certain stretch in the 4th quarter at home when he just tookover and couldn't miss a shot. Another thing I like about him is his youth, he'll turn 25 in October so he's plenty of years left in him to develop. My only problem with him, is at times he seemed a little passive. I don't think his defense is that horrible, but every time I tell myself that I remember the Seattle game when Ruben Freaking Patterson posted him up for the winning hoop! Anyway, before the draft I envisioned him being our 3rd scorer, and I still see him as that this upcoming season, but I'm starting to wonder what happens to him when Griffin grows into the PF spot like the majority thinks he will. Taylor is too slow to play SF, and Griffin might become too big to play SF as well. Something's gotta give... I hope Rudy T will find a way (if Griffin pans out) to play them both, I just don't really see how he can do that though... ------------------ President of the CC.net Realist Club, everyone needs a dose of reality once in a while...
Cat: a question about rebounding? How can someone who has played basketball for 10 years NOT understand rebounding? If you play good defense, doesn't it leave you in proper position to rebound, anyway? Of course, you may not be in the best place to rebound because your man is not close to the basket, etc. What about desire? Mo is kind of unflappable isn't he? Ratcheting up the determination would help. All in all, though, I love the guy and I agree with most of your asessment. ------------------ "How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak. Because someday you will have been all of these."
Desire? That's where Mo excels. He has as much of that as anyone on the team. The problem with Mo's rebounding, imho, is his positioning, and that can be taught to improve. He has always had to be the man and the primary scoring option for every team he's been on before the Rockets, and I'm sure rebounding wasn't the primary thing they had him focusing on. BGM, If that happens then simply run Taylor at SF and Griffin at PF on offense. I think Griffin is much more suited for the small forward position, considering his overall game and frame, but if he becomes a good interior player call him the 4 on offense and let him guard the 3's on defense. It's been done before. Mo offensively is diverse enough to play the 3, and even if Griffin bulks up he will still have the speed to play 3's on defense. I think they will coexist very easily. Also, I take it you haven't watched Ruben Patterson all that much. He can do that to just about any power forward in the NBA. He may be small, at 6'5, but he is very tough, especially inside, and he can outmuscle taller and heavier defenders consistently. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site [This message has been edited by The Cat (edited July 20, 2001).]
Steve Francis. Great post. Actions speak louder than words. After watching it for a few times I just had to laugh. Was that dunk over Shaun Bradley? As an aside I remember when Taylor did one like that over our own? Kelvin Cato when Mo played for the Clippers.How did you do that ? P.S. As a computer semi-illiterate I don't know how to create a link for the board when I see something interesting. How do you do that? Is there a post or site to show guys like myself how to do things that might add to this board? ------------------
Cat, being a junior member(whatever that means), I disagree with our assessment of Mo Taylor's offense and defensive skills. For the money he is asking for, he should do much more in the rebouding and defensive areas. He averages less than 6 boards a game (no hustle and Steve out rebounds him) and he gets torched by the Western conference elite power forwards (who doesn't, however we should expect more for more money), especially Chris Webber. Granted Mo is hot the 1st Qtr, after that, he fades into the sunset. MoTaylor's game also struggles due to lack of conditioning, as evidenced by his low percentage shooting in the 4 quarter. I have watched him blow easy shots that he normally hits in the first quarter. Chemistry - I agree that his ego and game is a good fit, but we should not overpay for this alone. I compare MoTaylor and Robert Horry and I would take Robert easily. I lived in Houston for 12 years and have lived in Orlando the last 4 and purchased the NBA league pass and watched ALL 82 games of the Rockets. ------------------ Let go and let GOD!
