Draft Bryce Taylor?

by DominicanAvenger on Feb 20, 2008 3:03 AM PST

I know he's playing the 2 in college, but Taylor could be the perfect combo guard to play the 1 next to brandon--a buttery jumper, good enough ball-handling to not worry too much about pressure, a good slasher who can finish at the rim, quick/athletic and disciplined enough to defend most quick points (i'd say he's a better defender of quick guards than anyone we have on the roster now)

he can run the break too, which would be nice.

Kind of a poor-man's eric gordon, assuming we can't move up far enough in the draft to get gordon, rose, or bayless (who draftexpress has going 3rd), the only real knock on the guy is that he's a tweener, but he has the skills to play a derek-fisher style point if we want brandon being our main distributor

considering that he's projected to go in the early to mid second round (1st pick of the 2nd by nbadraft.net, 19th of the 2nd by draftexpress), and we have 4 second rounders, it's easily concievable we could get this guy without too much maneuvering either.

what do you guys think?

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Bryce Taylor

is a NBA role player at best. He's not an NBA starter.

by jksnake99 on Feb 20, 2008 8:44 AM PST reply actions

I agree but

if he can be had for cheap I think there's enough potential to grab him in the second round. He's shown that he can really focus and develop skills--he came to Oregon as a perimeter player and worked pretty successfully on getting to the rim. He's got an NBA pedigree (his dad's Brian Taylor), so mentally he'd be prepared for the pro life. He's not a 1--he's not even the third option for PG in Kent's system. Maybe a solid backup 2, dependable scoring off the bench.

I actually think that he's more NBA ready than Hairston.

by grimc on Feb 20, 2008 11:04 AM PST up reply actions

i agree with

that last point...

beyond that though i think he doesn't have to be a pure 1 to be what we need...see my post a few down

by DominicanAvenger on Feb 20, 2008 1:55 PM PST up reply actions

A horrible ball-handler too

If we're talking Oregon players, I'd prefer Maarty Leunen. A tough rebounder with a great outside shot, in other words, the exact player we need.

by robrun2 on Feb 20, 2008 10:35 AM PST reply actions

Tyler Hansbrough

"To measure the man, measure his heart."
Malcolm Stevenson Forbes

"Darkness warshed over the Dude - darker'n a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night. There was no bottom." The Stranger from The Big Lebowski (1999)

by tominhawaii on Feb 20, 2008 11:18 AM PST reply actions

I dunno

They kept measuring and remeasuring Eddy Curry's swollen heart, and it hasn't seemed to help him on the basketball court.

by BlazersOrBust on Feb 20, 2008 12:47 PM PST up reply actions

That is funny.

"I was in the neighborhood, feeling a little daffy, so I thought I would stop in for an aperitif." Tom in Miller's Crossing.

by Kampeska on Feb 20, 2008 1:47 PM PST up reply actions

i know

he's not a conventional 1...this was directed more towards those who were thinking our best PG option would be a combo guard who could guard quick guards and shoot the 3, while brandon would be the main distributor

when it all comes down to it even most of the championship contenders are starting one or two guys who could be described as "NBA role-players." No, i don't expect bryce to ever be a superstar in the league, but i think he'd be a really good fit for the role we need to fill (a more athletic steve blake type who you can't leave alone in the corner or at the top of the key, but is a threat to actually finish at the rim if you ignore the drive and play the kick out)

when you look at our offense in the next few years it's going to be predicated on the fact that people are going to have to throw double teams at brandon constantly and at oden/(hopefully) aldridge at times, and we're going to need everyone else on the court to be able to knock down the outside shot when we swing the ball around

Also i think bryce would really fit our culture, as a coach's son and all-around class act from what i've seen

by DominicanAvenger on Feb 20, 2008 1:54 PM PST reply actions

That was well thought out

Thanks. I want athletic defenders that can hit the open shot. My hopes is that Jai Lucas from Florida grows about six inches and we draft him. I think he is everything I want in a guard except his size.

"Darkness warshed over the Dude - darker'n a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night. There was no bottom." The Stranger from The Big Lebowski (1999)

by tominhawaii on Feb 20, 2008 2:14 PM PST up reply actions

I like Bryce

but I don't know if he is quick enough to be the quick player we need.

The Rose Garden is our House.

by JTDuck22 on Feb 20, 2008 2:15 PM PST up reply actions

always draft for talent and not need

We need to draft the best player out there or make a move using that draft to draft the best player available.

Example of why?

Webster vs Chris Paul. Part of why Webster was picked was because we had a future point to groom and because we needed three point shooting. Webster was supposed to solve this.

"No way. I love this town. We're gonna bring back the glory years. These boys are my boys. This is my team and my town." - Greg Oden when asked about leaving.

by ratbastird on Feb 20, 2008 2:53 PM PST up reply actions

I agree 100%

in terms of our first-rounder. there's going to be talents in that part of the draft that a team kicks themselves for missing (paul, williams, hell i love webster but even danny granger would have been good here).

however considering that we have 4 second-round picks, it would be silly IMO to not address need with any of them, especially if the need is for a role-player and might be realistically addressed with a second-round talent

unless he blows up drastically in the remainder of the season, i don't see bryce going in the first round, so i think it's reasonable to consider need with one of those picks.

just out of curiosity, is there someone else in particular you'd have in mind as the best available player at that point? obviously if a consensus first-round talent slips that far we'd grab him, but i'm never that excited about second-rounders anyway that i wouldn't take a flyer on bryce

by DominicanAvenger on Feb 20, 2008 3:07 PM PST up reply actions