Scouting Report: Isaiah Taylor
Another interesting guard playing in the Israeli league is Isaiah Taylor. In last years he was a fringe in NBA, jumping back and forth between NBA and G League and this year is his first season in Europe. He is amongst the best scorers in Israeli League but there is potential for more.
BACKGROUND INFO
Position: G
Height: 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Date of Birth: 11/07/1994
Nationality: American
Previous clubs:
2016/17 — Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2017 — Houston Rockets
2017/18 — Atlanta Hawks
2019/20 — Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Taylor played his college years in Texas for the Longhorns where he was putting some good numbers on the scoreboard. Over his three year college career he was averaging 13.6 points, 4.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds in around 30 minutes per game. He wasn’t shooting much from the distance but developed a decent shot in last years. He declared for the 2016 NBA Draft but went undrafted. Signed with the Houston Rockets but played more for their affiliate team Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In 2017/18 season he got much more playing time in the NBA when he played for the Atlanta Hawks on 67 matches and averaged 6.6 points in that season. This season it’s his first season abroad.
VIDEO REPORT:
OFFENSE
Slashing: Isiah Taylor is one of the quickest players out there. He is really explosive in his North to South movements and if you combine his quickness with his good handles, you get a player that can get by defenders and to the rim easily. Can attack with both hands in both directions and is way more aggressive in attacking from a live dribble than from a standstill position.
He doesn’t need much space or time to get the advantage, just a screen can do the job and it is game over for his defender once Isaiah is one step ahead. And you better don’t try to switch on screens and put a bigger and slower defender on him because he will punish that instantly.
Finishing: He goes to the rim at full speed and transfers all the power from the floor to his body to absorb some contact at the rim too. Even though he has not the elite size and is not an above the rim player, his shots in the so called land of giants are rarely blocked.
Most of the time he is his worst enemy at the rim. From the games that I’ve watched, there were just too many missed layups that should have been converted to easy points. Not sure if this are concentration issues or lack of touch but it is somehow worth noting that he leaves some points at the rim basically every match. Definitely an area of his game that should be analyzed and fixed as soon as possible.Another area that could improve in my opinion is his floater/ runner game. He can surprise the defense with some floaters but lacks sufficient touch on those finishes.
Transition: Where he excels the most is probably on open court and in transition. He is really hard to stop when he goes downhill especially at his full speed. Handles the ball well and most of the time just too quick for the defense. When he gets a steal or grabs a rebound he tries to push in transition as fast as possible.
His feel in transition could be better since he can sometimes get in some difficult spots that lead to a hard shot or a turnover. Should make better reads when to go all the way or stop and play a half court set. As I mentioned before, he can also miss some layups in transition which can be even more frustrating. On higher level this misses aren’t allowed..
Shooting: Improving as a shooter every year. In his college days he was shooting below 30 % from downtown but in last years in G League and this year in Europe his percentages are more than solid at around 35 % or higher.
Usually he needs space or time to take a three point shot but can punish the defense if they are going under the screen on pick & rolls. If he can make those shots consistently and draw the defense closer that would mean even more opportunities to attack the defense with drives.
He is also pretty reliable from the charity stripe and shooting around 80 % so far in his career which shows that he has some shooting potencial.
Playmaking: He is a really good passer but has a limited court vision. Most of his passes are on the first level to the closest team mate or to the screen setter. Can manipulate the defense here and there but there are not many passes to shooters in corners. Sticks to basic passes and not trying to make any highlight reels.
Averaging 4.5 assist per game and I think this numbers can get even higher if he starts looking more for shooters in corners too. With his slashing ability, he has the potential to become a great drive & kick player.
DEFENSE
Perimeter defendse: First thing to say about his defense is that he clearly hasn’t made any referee friends in Israel so far. I’m not a referee but in some possessions some really questionable fouls were called in the favor of the offensive player and he can react to those calls and walk on the edge of a technical foul.
Those things aside he has the potential for a good defensive player. His lateral movements and reactions are fast, knows how to move his feet and has quick hands to go for some pocket steals. Occasionally could be more aggressive on the defensive end but still not a bad on ball defender.
Pick & roll defense: On the other hand, I don’t like a lot about his pick & roll defense. He goes under the screen most of the time and lets the offensive player do whatever he wants. Also anticipates the screen poorly and with his footwork should go around them much easier than he usually does.
His pick & roll defense in general needs some improvements even though the stats are showing that he is a good pick & roll defender but mostly because opponents weren’t making those open three point or mid range shots. On higher level this won’t end well and players will make those shots. Usually stats don’t lie but in this case he hasn’t passed my eye test.
Off-ball defense: His rotations and closeouts are really good. Closes out in a balanced way with low gravity point and can react quickly. Also makes pretty good reads and rarely makes mistakes in rotations. Sometimes he goes for interceptions but his anticipation for steals could be better.
SUMMARY
Isaiah is playing a good rookie season in Europe and there is a lot to like in his game but there is also potential for more.
His speed and quickness are hard to match and he can get by defenders even on top European level. If he becomes a more consistent finisher at the rim and improves his court vision in offense while also makes some improvements in his pick & roll defense, he can get even to the highest level in Europe.
Would really love to see him next year in some team that plays in international competition.
