Why is everybody writing off...

ClipperDomination · Post #1 » by **ClipperDomination** » Mon May 25, 2009 7:43 pm

Mike Taylor?!

Seriously, I think he's perfectly suitable as the Clippers backup point guard. Remember, he was a rookie last year and showed some flashes of brilliance (remember the 40+ point game, anyone?). He's quick, got great handles, and can defend the quicker point guards in the NBA.

Honestly, I could see this guy become a real, real good player once he gets a jump shot and knows how to stay under control at times. He reminds me a lot of Rondo...

This "we need a backup PG" stuff coming from everybody needs to stop in my opinion. I think Taylor can be the future PG the Clipps have been looking for once he gets a few years under his belt...

Okay, now you can call me crazy.

PlinkingPanda · Post #2 » by **PlinkingPanda** » Mon May 25, 2009 8:09 pm

I'm not. :3

I think he and DeAndre can be solid bench players for our team. Although I still wouldn't mind a Kaman for Hinrich trade. He and Mike can play either position so it would give additional depth to the back court that we need while allowing the 3-4 man big rotation of Camby/Griffin/Z-Bo/Jordan.

I wouldn't expect Camby to be back next season, so perhaps we can put him on the block and trade once the deadline arrives if we're at the bottom of the standings this coming season.

StutterStep · Post #3 » by **StutterStep** » Tue May 26, 2009 12:41 am

^I think trading Camby would be a huge mistake. You need his professionalism to help the young BIGS (DeAndre and (potentially) Griffin). Keep Camby at least until the deadline. Move Kaman/Zach/Thornton. If the FO is diligent, you can bring back value and/or knock money off the cap for 2011, etc...

madmaxmedia · Post #4 » by **madmaxmedia** » Tue May 26, 2009 5:02 am

He is a great athlete, I would love to see him develop into a NBA point guard here.

I see him and DJ the same way- awesome athletes, fun to watch, but too raw right now. Hopefully they can develop into good backups, and then we see what happens from there...

Post #5 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Tue May 26, 2009 2:15 pm

madmaxmedia wrote:He is a great athlete, I would love to see him develop into a NBA point guard here.

I see him and DJ the same way- awesome athletes, fun to watch, but too raw right now. Hopefully they can develop into good backups, and then we see what happens from there...

Agreed, their athleticism can help turn them into decent players at the least. I hope that they develop start talent.

ClipperEric · Post #6 » by **ClipperEric** » Tue May 26, 2009 6:17 pm

Mike Taylor is a great addition to this team. He's exactly what we need: A small, quick, little guy who can run around like a jack-rabbit, the perfect compliment to our starting PG, who's big and fat.

We NEED Mike Taylor. The crazy dunks and scoring bursts are just a bonus.

jflipclip · Post #7 » by **jflipclip** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:55 pm

He wasn't the same after injury from what I remember. I'm not writing him off, it's just that with all these good shooters/offensive tools, you'd kinda want a PG who can distribute it well. Passing has been a concern since forever and it is certainly not Mike Taylor's forte.

Post #8 » by **mkwest** » Wed May 27, 2009 3:03 am

jflipclip wrote:He wasn't the same after injury from what I remember. I'm not writing him off, it's just that with all these good shooters/offensive tools, you'd kinda want a PG who can distribute it well. Passing has been a concern since forever and it is certainly not Mike Taylor's forte.

He could have really benefited from the experience had he not been injured. I like Taylor, although I'm not against having more depth at the 1. Most teams didn't think he was capable of playing point, but I think he can pull it off with some hard work. He really just needs to control himself and know when to use his speed. Right now he can be pretty reckless at times. Over the summer he should focus on his passing, outside shooting and perfecting his floater.

playaloc916 · Post #9 » by **playaloc916** » Wed May 27, 2009 4:12 am

Like I said before, he's a basically a poor man's Steve Francis. He's fast, good handles, crazy hops, average passing, and at times, can hit the mid range jumper. If he puts his mind to it, he can cause some real havoc in the lane with his speed. I'd like to develop him more, because I think he has the tools to be an effective backup point guard.

SportsFan215 · Post #10 » by **SportsFan215** » Wed May 27, 2009 6:26 am

I don't think any Clipper fans are writing him off. There are a lot of fans of other teams that don't appreciate him as much as they should. I think he will only get better next year.

mj_shoefanatic · Post #11 » by **mj_shoefanatic** » Wed May 27, 2009 7:05 am

Taylor is nothing more then an undersized SG. However, I wouldn't mind him backing up Diddy or whoever else we bring in if/when we deal baron.

kombayn · Post #12 » by **kombayn** » Wed May 27, 2009 7:56 am

Mike Taylor still needs a lot of work. I'm all for sending him and DeAndre to the D-League just so they can play. Then bring them in 2010-11 for bench roles. Taylor does a lot of selfish things and makes knucklehead plays. He needs to be a better team player, the points will always be there. It's about getting the boards, steals and dimes to show that you're playing hard and making plays for teammates. Same with DeAndre, needs to work on blocks, boards and free throws. Field Goals (points) come easy in the game of basketball, not the other stuff I just mentioned.

madmaxmedia · Post #13 » by **madmaxmedia** » Wed May 27, 2009 6:49 pm

He needs a lot of work. But the one thing I will say in his defense is that with limited minutes, you can see him press and try to make things happen. It's of course counter-productive, but I can also see his perspective of trying to do something on the floor just to try to keep a spot on a NBA roster.

If the team decides he has the potential, then we can work with Taylor during offseason and give him regular (but still limited) minutes next year. Then his focus can be more on playing efficiently rather than trying to attract attention to himself. If he was able to do that, then I think his play would be much better. But the Clippers basically have to pick him or Fred Jones as the first backup behind Baron.

bbsee1 · Post #14 » by **bbsee1** » Thu May 28, 2009 12:00 am

he's a basically a poor man's Steve Francis

Don't disrespect Mike Taylor like that ! he's a good kid!

jflipclip · Post #15 » by **jflipclip** » Thu May 28, 2009 2:53 am

kombayn wrote:Mike Taylor still needs a lot of work. I'm all for sending him and DeAndre to the D-League just so they can play. Then bring them in 2010-11 for bench roles. Taylor does a lot of selfish things and makes knucklehead plays. He needs to be a better team player, the points will always be there. It's about getting the boards, steals and dimes to show that you're playing hard and making plays for teammates. Same with DeAndre, needs to work on blocks, boards and free throws. Field Goals (points) come easy in the game of basketball, not the other stuff I just mentioned.

You know what, I hate that Dunleavy or whoever in charge DOES NOT DO THIS. This is the reason why Korolev didn't develop into anything at all. He never sent him to the D-League and left him to rot at the end of the bench.

Many of you guys just pointed out some main problems with the roster in general: passing and shot selection. I don't think it's just Mike Taylor, that's everyone on our roster right there...