2012 NBA Draft and Offseason Blog
Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: wpc112@gmail.com
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Can Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor Be a True NBA Point Guard? - June 14
Tyshawn Taylor helped lead the Kansas Jayhawks to the NCAA National Championship Game this past season. Though Kansas lost to Kentucky and fell short of cutting down the nets, a terrific senior campaign helped propel Taylor to possibly being a first-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. One of the biggest questions regarding the Jayhawks floor general is just that: Can he be a true point guard at the NBA level?
Heading into his senior season, Taylor needed to have a breakout campaign to help his draft stock. The one-time Marquette commit played a major role for Kansas in his freshman season, but suffered through back-to-back disappointing years as a sophomore and junior before busting loose in his final go-around in Lawrence.
"Once I look back on my career and my four years and this past year, we got so close with a team that nobody thought was any good at all," Taylor said at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. "To make it that far with a team kind of undersized, under-manned, with not a lot of talent; I think we exceeded a lot of expectations, some of our own. I think looking back on that; a great career. I lost one home game. I won about 130 games, lost like 12. I had a pretty good career. I'm happy the way I left off. I wish we could have got that last game. It's a bittersweet feeling, but I feel alright about it."
Taylor is hoping his career as a winner, dating back to his high school days at St. Anthony when his team finished 32-0 his senior season, will catch the attention of NBA teams during the pre-draft process. "I think it's proven in my basketball career, from the time I started playing that I'm a winner. I've been on all winning teams and I've been big parts of all of them. I don't think any team's questioning my competitiveness at all."
What teams might be questioning is his ability to be a true point guard at the next level. One of Taylor's biggest flaws at Kansas was his poor decision-making and tendency to try to force the issue. He averaged 3.5 turnovers per game and just 4.8 assists per game, which is rather alarming when compared to some other top point guards in this draft.
Still, Taylor has no doubt that he is capable of handling the point guard responsibilities in the NBA. "I think I can be somebody who can control the tempo, play fast," Taylor confidently stated. "I think the teams that are interested in me see me more as a point, but I'm also a guy that can play some two if needed, too, because I can defend both positions. I think that's how most teams see me. I just have to create havoc defensively and if I do that, I'll be fine."
What's not up for debate is Taylor's elite athleticism, explosiveness and size (he measured 6'4" in shoes at the Combine and also boasted one of the lowest body fat percentages of any player invited.) He is also a capable shooter having hit 38.2% of his triple tries last season.
Still, that's one of the areas he has been looking to improve the most the past few months. "I think I'm a pretty good shooter. I think I've been shooting the ball really well. It's something I've been working on a lot. I think I'm becoming more consistent at it."
Consistency as a shooter will help Taylor transition to the next level. However, it's proving that he can be a true point guard and consistently make smart decisions as a distributor that will allow him to possibly sneak him into the late first round and make the most of his NBA career.
Recent NBA Draft and Offseason Blog Entries:
James Harden Trade Analysis - 10/29
What Will the USA Basketball Team Look Like at 2016 Summer Olympics? - 8/15
Dwight Howard Trade Analysis - 8/10
Restricted 2013 NBA Free Agents - 7/29
Unrestricted 2013 NBA Free Agents - 7/28
2012 NBA Offseason Winners - 7/23
2012 NBA Offseason Losers - 7/21
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/13
Outstanding 2013 NBA Draft Trades - 7/12
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/10
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/6
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/4
Atlanta Hawks' Trades Recap - 7/3
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/2
2012 NBA Draft Winners - 6/30
2012 NBA Draft Losers - 6/30
NBA Trade Analysis - 6/28
NBA Trade Analysis - 6/27
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Perry Jones - More Risk or Reward? - 6/26
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: John Henson One of NBA Draft's Most Overrated Players - 6/25
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Vanderbilt to See Three Commodores Taken in NBA Draft - 6/22
Wizards-Hornets Trade Analysis - 6/21
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Doron Lamb: Stepping out of Kentucky Shadows into NBA Draft - 6/20
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Can Memphis' Will Barton Sneak into 1st round of 2012 NBA Draft? - 6/19
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Baylor's Quincy Miller Made a Mistake by Entering NBA Draft - 6/16
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Can Duke's Austin Rivers live up to the hype in the NBA? - 6/15
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Can Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor Be a True NBA Point Guard? - 6/14
2012 NBA Draft Lottery Odds Breakdown - 5/30
2012 NBA Trade Deadline: Winners - 3/19
2012 NBA Trade Deadline: Losers - 3/18
2012 NBA Trade Deadline: Five Players Likely to Be Traded - 3/8
2012 NBA Draft Outstanding Trades - 12/25
NBA Offseason and Draft Blog - Home
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
2014 NBA Mock Draft - April 25
2013 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings: C | PF | COMBO-F | SF | COMBO-G | SG | PG
2011 NBA Mock Draft - June 23
2011 NBA Mock Draft - Walt's (June 21)
2011 NBA Mock Re-Draft
2010 NBA Mock Re-Draft
2009 NBA Mock Re-Draft
2011 NBA Draft Scouting Reports
2010-11 NBA Season Previews
2009 NBA Draft Grades
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - May 26
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
2014 NFL Mock Draft - May 21
Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - May 20
NFL Picks - Feb. 3
© 1999-2011 Walter Cherepinsky : all rights reserved
Privacy Policy
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Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: wpc112@gmail.com
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Can Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor Be a True NBA Point Guard? - June 14
Tyshawn Taylor helped lead the Kansas Jayhawks to the NCAA National Championship Game this past season. Though Kansas lost to Kentucky and fell short of cutting down the nets, a terrific senior campaign helped propel Taylor to possibly being a first-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. One of the biggest questions regarding the Jayhawks floor general is just that: Can he be a true point guard at the NBA level?
Heading into his senior season, Taylor needed to have a breakout campaign to help his draft stock. The one-time Marquette commit played a major role for Kansas in his freshman season, but suffered through back-to-back disappointing years as a sophomore and junior before busting loose in his final go-around in Lawrence.
"Once I look back on my career and my four years and this past year, we got so close with a team that nobody thought was any good at all," Taylor said at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. "To make it that far with a team kind of undersized, under-manned, with not a lot of talent; I think we exceeded a lot of expectations, some of our own. I think looking back on that; a great career. I lost one home game. I won about 130 games, lost like 12. I had a pretty good career. I'm happy the way I left off. I wish we could have got that last game. It's a bittersweet feeling, but I feel alright about it."
Taylor is hoping his career as a winner, dating back to his high school days at St. Anthony when his team finished 32-0 his senior season, will catch the attention of NBA teams during the pre-draft process. "I think it's proven in my basketball career, from the time I started playing that I'm a winner. I've been on all winning teams and I've been big parts of all of them. I don't think any team's questioning my competitiveness at all."
What teams might be questioning is his ability to be a true point guard at the next level. One of Taylor's biggest flaws at Kansas was his poor decision-making and tendency to try to force the issue. He averaged 3.5 turnovers per game and just 4.8 assists per game, which is rather alarming when compared to some other top point guards in this draft.
Still, Taylor has no doubt that he is capable of handling the point guard responsibilities in the NBA. "I think I can be somebody who can control the tempo, play fast," Taylor confidently stated. "I think the teams that are interested in me see me more as a point, but I'm also a guy that can play some two if needed, too, because I can defend both positions. I think that's how most teams see me. I just have to create havoc defensively and if I do that, I'll be fine."
What's not up for debate is Taylor's elite athleticism, explosiveness and size (he measured 6'4" in shoes at the Combine and also boasted one of the lowest body fat percentages of any player invited.) He is also a capable shooter having hit 38.2% of his triple tries last season.
Still, that's one of the areas he has been looking to improve the most the past few months. "I think I'm a pretty good shooter. I think I've been shooting the ball really well. It's something I've been working on a lot. I think I'm becoming more consistent at it."
Consistency as a shooter will help Taylor transition to the next level. However, it's proving that he can be a true point guard and consistently make smart decisions as a distributor that will allow him to possibly sneak him into the late first round and make the most of his NBA career.
Recent NBA Draft and Offseason Blog Entries:
James Harden Trade Analysis - 10/29
What Will the USA Basketball Team Look Like at 2016 Summer Olympics? - 8/15
Dwight Howard Trade Analysis - 8/10
Restricted 2013 NBA Free Agents - 7/29
Unrestricted 2013 NBA Free Agents - 7/28
2012 NBA Offseason Winners - 7/23
2012 NBA Offseason Losers - 7/21
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/13
Outstanding 2013 NBA Draft Trades - 7/12
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/10
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/6
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/4
Atlanta Hawks' Trades Recap - 7/3
2012 NBA Free Agent Recap - 7/2
2012 NBA Draft Winners - 6/30
2012 NBA Draft Losers - 6/30
NBA Trade Analysis - 6/28
NBA Trade Analysis - 6/27
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Perry Jones - More Risk or Reward? - 6/26
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: John Henson One of NBA Draft's Most Overrated Players - 6/25
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Vanderbilt to See Three Commodores Taken in NBA Draft - 6/22
Wizards-Hornets Trade Analysis - 6/21
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Doron Lamb: Stepping out of Kentucky Shadows into NBA Draft - 6/20
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Can Memphis' Will Barton Sneak into 1st round of 2012 NBA Draft? - 6/19
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Baylor's Quincy Miller Made a Mistake by Entering NBA Draft - 6/16
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Can Duke's Austin Rivers live up to the hype in the NBA? - 6/15
2012 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Can Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor Be a True NBA Point Guard? - 6/14
2012 NBA Draft Lottery Odds Breakdown - 5/30
2012 NBA Trade Deadline: Winners - 3/19
2012 NBA Trade Deadline: Losers - 3/18
2012 NBA Trade Deadline: Five Players Likely to Be Traded - 3/8
2012 NBA Draft Outstanding Trades - 12/25
NBA Offseason and Draft Blog - Home
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SunsFan
07-06-2012
02:18 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.183
(total posts: 1)
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Why the MOTHERF U C KING LAKERS!!!!!NASH WHY!!!!
CJ
07-05-2012
07:11 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx6.44
(total posts: 4)
78
30
Again Banks is clueless, claiming Eric Gordon has already re-signed with New Orleans.
Also the 'Clippers' weren't involved in the Marvin Williams/Devin Harris trade. Does this guy even proof read anything he writes? Atrocious.
abe
07-05-2012
08:39 am
xxx.xxx.xxx1.87
(total posts: 1)
19
12
walt eric gordon is signing with the suns not the hornets
Ben Wallace
07-04-2012
06:54 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.153
(total posts: 1)
26
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To be totally honest, Henson and Zeller wouldn't be any better than Meyers Leonard. They are all going to bust.
C-3PO
07-04-2012
05:27 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.234
(total posts: 1)
21
9
Eric Gordon signed an offer sheet with the Suns dumb @ss, New Orleans has yet to match that offer, so he didn't resign like you said.
Geiger
07-03-2012
07:03 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx3.66
(total posts: 2)
27
10
The Nets are not out of the running for Dwight and are offering a package of Humphris, Lopez and Brooks with draft picks..Its sad to even hear the Nets entertain that idea, but it very well could happen.
A team to look out for is the Lakers..an offer of Bynum, Artest and the Odom exception for Howard and Turkaglus monster contract is a win-win for both teams.
Geiger
07-03-2012
07:03 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx3.66
(total posts: 2)
12
9
The Nets are not out of the running for Dwight and are offering a package of Humphris, Lopez and Brooks with draft picks..Its sad to even hear the Nets entertain that idea, but it very well could happen.
A team to look out for is the Lakers..an offer of Bynum, Artest and the Odom exception for Howard and Turkaglus monster contract is a win-win for both teams.
@CJ
07-03-2012
04:33 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.104
(total posts: 1)
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So basically you're asking Walt to fire one "clueless" dumbass for another? lol Whats the point?
Rise Above
CJ
06-30-2012
04:54 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx6.44
(total posts: 4)
213
107
Paul Banks, yet again showing how clueless he is. Almost every other draft analyst has the Rockets' with a positive ranking. This clown does understand that the Rockets are likely to make trades, with all the assets they've compiled?
I agree that Meyers Leonard is probably going to be a bust, but you can't call Portland a 'loser' for stealing the 6th pick from the Nets. How about a 'loser' ranking for the Cavs for reaching so much for Dion Waiters? Or trading all their other picks for another likely bust in Tyler Zeller? But Banks has a 'man crush' (not that there's anything wrong with that) on Waiters, so he'd never mark the Cavs down. Fire this guy Walt, I'll work for free!
Ben
06-25-2012
09:00 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.254
(total posts: 1)
10
23
So....Henson is overrated because he has trouble keeping and putting on weight and strength. And you stated that size and strength is everything in the nba for a big. But....isn't Davis just as if not more lanky and undersized than Henson....? And Henson is only one year older and both have similar wingspans? Just a thought..
@Live
06-22-2012
10:10 am
xxx.xxx.xxx6.15
(total posts: 1)
11
8
You are an idiot, you apparently don't know how basketball trades work, its all about salary dumping. IN the NBA you are either rebuilding, championship contender, or youar e going to stay consistently medicore. They were never going ot win a championship with Okafor and Ariza taking up that much money on their books.
Live
06-22-2012
04:28 am
xxx.xxx.xxx3.80
(total posts: 1)
8
70
Washington - B
Hornets - Big fat F Sure the Hornets is going to waive Lewis and relieve cap space to sign Gordon to a longer deal and draft Anthony Davis but so what! They let go a great defensive guy that can hit 3s here and there. They got NOTHING in return for Ariza and Okafor but a 2nd rounder. I didn't like what the Hornets got in return and it was a bad deal IMO.
Vince
06-19-2012
04:03 am
xxx.xxx.xxx3.99
(total posts: 1)
42
9
It was a play on words, not a pun. More importantly, know who else couldn't bench press 185 pounds at the NBA Combine? This one player called Kevin Durant.
Ben
04-15-2012
09:06 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx7.65
(total posts: 1)
29
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I like how only one of these players actually got traded
Omar
03-23-2012
04:20 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx6.60
(total posts: 1)
14
14
its a good thing i was wearing sartight white with built in neon when i went to the Super bowl. they almost didnt let me on the field:) and on a side note.. i feel bad for Slash:/
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2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
2014 NBA Mock Draft - April 25
2013 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings: C | PF | COMBO-F | SF | COMBO-G | SG | PG
2011 NBA Mock Draft - June 23
2011 NBA Mock Draft - Walt's (June 21)
2011 NBA Mock Re-Draft
2010 NBA Mock Re-Draft
2009 NBA Mock Re-Draft
2011 NBA Draft Scouting Reports
2010-11 NBA Season Previews
2009 NBA Draft Grades
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - May 26
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
2014 NFL Mock Draft - May 21
Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - May 20
NFL Picks - Feb. 3
© 1999-2011 Walter Cherepinsky : all rights reserved
Privacy Policy
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