The Draft Express on Isaiah Taylor

Below is Derek Bodner/Draft Express on a former Bay Area talent:

"#6 (pro prospect in Big 10), Isaiah Taylor, 6'3”, Junior, Point Guard, Texas

An unheralded high school recruit, 6'3” point guard Isaiah Taylor had a surprising freshman season for Texas, starting every game for the Longhorns and becoming a key catalyst in their bounce back season.

While Taylor still showed much of the same ability that made him effective as a freshman, he failed to really take the next step many were hoping for last season. His scoring average (16.2 points per 40 minutes pace adjusted as a freshman, 17.2 as a sophomore), assist total (5.2 per 40 pace adjusted to 5.9), and overall efficiency (48.6% to 49.6% true shooting percentage) all remained relatively flat, with modest, at most, improvements.

It's the lack of improvement in his perimeter shot that is the most concerning, as that remains a major hole in Taylor's game. While Taylor shot better from two point range, up from a disastrous 39.8% as a freshman to a still mediocre 42.1% as a sophomore, his proficiency from the perimeter is still a major problem. Taylor connected on only 11 three pointers on the season, shooting 28.2% from deep, and converted only 32.4% of his total jump shots overall according to Synergy Sports Technology.

The lack of ability to make shots from the perimeter, and the hesitance to pull the trigger on open opportunities that those struggles cause, has an impact on what Taylor is able to do. Defenses are more than willing to sag off of Taylor, on both pick and rolls to close off driving lanes and also when Taylor is off the ball, causing congestion in the paint.

This is unfortunate, as Taylor is lightning quick with the ball in his hands and has a real knack for creating for others off the pick and roll. Despite struggling to keep defenders honest, Taylor still shows an ability to get into the paint almost at will, but driving and passing lanes would open up even more if defenders had to worry more about him as a shooter coming off of the pick.

Taylor's biggest threat when he does get into the lane is as a passer, where he has solid court vision and passing instincts, and was able to find both big men cutting to the basket or three point shooters stationed on the perimeter with ease.

In terms of his own offense, Taylor does have some physical limitations that hold him back somewhat, as he's not an incredibly explosive leaper in traffic and doesn't have the upper body strength to really play through contact. He also wasn't able to draw fouls at quite the same prolific rate that he did during his freshman season, as both his free throw rate (54.9% to 37.1%) and free throw attempts per 40 minutes pace adjusted (7.4 to 5.4) saw significant drops, although both are still good marks.

That being said, Taylor did improve his effectiveness finishing around the basket over the previous season, and has good touch around the hoop, particularly with his left hand, and a well-developed floater game that he uses to offset some of these limitations. Still, shooting 42% from 2-point range is not very encouraging for a point guard who is already a poor shooter from outside the paint, so showing progress in this area as a junior will be imperative.

On the defensive side of the court, Taylor's quickness is definitely an asset in his arsenal, as he combines his lateral mobility with good technique to keep even quicker guards in front of him. His profile once again presents some hurdles he'll have to overcome, however. Taylor struggles to fight through screens on the perimeter, and he'll frequently float off the ball looking for steals or to double down low, and struggles to get back and adequately contest a shot, an area where his average length (6'3.5” wingspan) doesn't help.

Taylor has a couple of attributes that are definitely intriguing as a prospect, namely his quickness, ability to get into the lane, and above-average passing feel. That being said, it's hard not to be a little bit disappointed in the lack of progress in a couple of areas that could become a real Achilles heal for him down the line. With NBA decision makers hyper-focused on floor spacing, there's less and less willingness to overlook guys who are non-shooters, and Taylor will have to show significant progress from the perimeter to really make the most of his talent this season, especially since he's turning 22 years old this upcoming summer, making him the same age as some of the players in the senior class."