Mike Taylor is tearing it Up in the D-League Championship

Angie · 04-30-2008, 01:07 PM

I couldn't be happier for Mike, and wish him the best of luck. He may have made some questionable decisions off the court (as we all do), but nobody can accuse him of giving anything less than 100% on the court. He was voted the MVP for a reason.

BryceC · 04-30-2008, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by CTAClone

Not in my twisted world. Only points, assists and TO's count.

Here's his stats for the season. There is no way he's going to get picked up with those kind of stats. He's not even a starter.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: IDAHO STAMPEDE

Nick Nurse, the Coach of the Iowa Energy, disagrees with you.

CTAClone · 04-30-2008, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by BryceC

Nick Nurse, the Coach of the Iowa Energy, disagrees with you.

I just don't see how a player that doesn't even start on his own team can be picked up by the NBA when there are 14 teams out there with their own starters and stars on their teams.

Nick Nurse is also playing up to the Media because Mike Taylor is considered a home town boy.

ajk4st8 · 04-30-2008, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by CTAClone

I just don't see how a player that doesn't even start on his own team can be picked up by the NBA when there are 14 teams out there with their own starters and stars on their teams.

Nick Nurse is also playing up to the Media because Mike Taylor is considered a home town boy.

When was the last time you sat down and watched Taylor play a complete game in the NBDL? I hope you have since you are ripping him pretty hard.

I HAVE watched him play 4-5 times this season. He is a complete different player with the ball.

He one of the top three talents since 2000 at ISU.

CTAClone · 04-30-2008, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by ajk4st8

When was the last time you sat down and watched Taylor play a complete game in the NBDL? I hope you have since you are ripping him pretty hard.

I HAVE watched him play 4-5 times this season. He is a complete different player with the ball.

He one of the top three talents since 2000 at ISU.

Never. I'm not ripping on him, he definitely is well talented with a few side faults that I think is the reason he isn't starting for his team.

Just this talk of him being picked up doesn't seem really realistic. This isn't minor league baseball where players move up and down all the time, this is the NBA. He doesn't start for his team so why would he be picked up before the guys above him or the other guys from the other teams? If he makes it, great, I wish him the best.

However, I feel like rooting for him is like rooting for Iowa football players.

cmoore_23 · 04-30-2008, 01:36 PM

the guy could get picked.. it would not suprise me one bit.. and big whoop he wasnt starting, the anoucers during the game were even talking about Taylor as being the first one picked out of the d league.

CTAClone · 04-30-2008, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by cmoore_23

the guy could get picked.. it would not suprise me one bit.. and big whoop he wasnt starting, the anoucers during the game were even talking about Taylor as being the first one picked out of the d league.

Like I said, if that happens, I wish him all the best. I have no hard feelings for him at all and I do think he is talented. I haven't seen him play since he left ISU so I don't know how he has improved. But if he is so good why doesn't he start?

BryceC · 04-30-2008, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by CTAClone

Just this talk of him being picked up doesn't seem really realistic. This isn't minor league baseball where players move up and down all the time, this is the NBA. He doesn't start for his team so why would he be picked up before the guys above him or the other guys from the other teams?

Probably for the same reason a guy like DeAndre Jordan from A&M will be a top 10 pick this year without starting for his COLLEGE team and putting up worse stats than several players in the Big 12.

Tremendous upside potential.

And Mike started 8 games, mostly at the end of the season. He is a phenomenal physical talent. Jeff Horner starts on another team, but I put his chances at the NBA roughly below .01%. I don't know if he will get drafted or not, and I personally believe he is a longshot, but if Nick Nurse and the announcers for that championship game believe it (and I doubt they would have said it unless somebody told them something) then I think it has to carry SOME weight.

BryceC · 04-30-2008, 02:13 PM

Also, I'm sure that his starting has something to do with politics - Taurean Green was a draft pick last year and I'm sure the parent club wants him getting most of the minutes down there. Livingston is a lot older and a lot heavier than Taylor, and maybe they like the way he controls the pace or something.

Regardless, the NBA draft is as much about potential as it is about anything else - I could see somebody drafting Taylor just to get his rights and leaving him in the D-League to develop. He doesn't have much of a left hand while dribbling either. There are a lot of things for him to work on but physically he's as talented as any player out there and that plays a lot in to who teams look at. Plus he really bulked up to 188, and has good size at 6'2". And he's still pretty young, he's only 2 years older than Derrick Rose. A 22 year old Mike Taylor has a lot better chance to be drafted than a 31 year old Livingston or a 25 year old Horner.

cmoore_23 · 04-30-2008, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by CTAClone

Like I said, if that happens, I wish him all the best. I have no hard feelings for him at all and I do think he is talented. I haven't seen him play since he left ISU so I don't know how he has improved. But if he is so good why doesn't he start?

because they started Randy Livingston whos been on that team for like 13 years or somthing crazy like that.. he was the home town hero.. and was a good player.. also maybe...just maybe they wanted somone who could come off the bench and score.. btw Mike did start in 8 games

CTAClone · 04-30-2008, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by BryceC

Probably for the same reason a guy like DeAndre Jordan from A&M will be a top 10 pick this year without starting for his COLLEGE team and putting up worse stats than several players in the Big 12.

Tremendous upside potential.

And Mike started 8 games, mostly at the end of the season. He is a phenomenal physical talent. Jeff Horner starts on another team, but I put his chances at the NBA roughly below .01%. I don't know if he will get drafted or not, and I personally believe he is a longshot, but if Nick Nurse and the announcers for that championship game believe it (and I doubt they would have said it unless somebody told them something) then I think it has to carry SOME weight.

Deandre Jordan is 18 or 19 years old and was a Freshman. There is a reason he didn't start. Mike plays in a league where everyone is the relatively the same age and has relatively the same playing experience.

Granted, I don't follow the NBDL, let alone NBA, I've just been posting to what I've seen from his stats and from his play at ISU. You guys have made me more of a believer than I was before (which was a 0% believer). Just looking at the numbers, he doesn't seem all that impressive, but I guess if you look at the upside and his athleticism he can become more of a prospect, if he has improved like you guys have said he has.

If I was a coach or scout, I'd just be asking myself, "Why doesn't this guy start?" But I'm not a coach or scout, so it doesn't really matter what I ask myself.

ajk4st8 · 04-30-2008, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by CTAClone

Deandre Jordan is 18 or 19 years old and was a Freshman. There is a reason he didn't start. Mike plays in a league where everyone is the relatively the same age and has relatively the same playing experience.

Granted, I don't follow the NBDL, let alone NBA, I've just been posting to what I've seen from his stats and from his play at ISU. You guys have made me more of a believer than I was before (which was a 0% believer). Just looking at the numbers, he doesn't seem all that impressive, but I guess if you look at the upside and his athleticism he can become more of a prospect, if he has improved like you guys have said he has.

If I was a coach or scout, I'd just be asking myself, "Why doesn't this guy start?" But I'm not a coach or scout, so it doesn't really matter what I ask myself.

Trust me. In part of the games Ive watched, he was the best player on the floor. Also played the hardest.

CTAClone · 04-30-2008, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by ajk4st8

Trust me. In part of the games Ive watched, he was the best player on the floor. Also played the hardest.

Fine, I guess I'll trust you.

Seriously, I do believe you that he's doing well. You have definitely convinced me that there is a small possibility that he'll get picked up.