Jeffery Taylor
Jeffery Matthew Taylor (born May 23, 1989)[1] is a Swedish-American professional basketball player for BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). He played college basketball for Vanderbilt University, before being drafted 31st overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2012 NBA draft.
Taylor with Real Madrid in November 2017. | |
| No. 44 – BC Wolves | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward / Shooting guard |
| League | Lithuanian Basketball League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 23, 1989 Norrköping, Sweden |
| Nationality | American / Swedish |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Hobbs (Hobbs, New Mexico) |
| College | Vanderbilt (2008–2012) |
| NBA draft | 2012 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31st overall |
| Selected by the Charlotte Bobcats | |
| Playing career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
| 2012–2015 | Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets |
| 2014–2015 | → Austin Spurs |
| 2015–2022 | Real Madrid |
| 2022–present | BC Wolves |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
High school career
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Taylor was listed as the No. 10 small forward and the No. 52 player in the nation in 2008.[2]
College career
After Taylor's freshman season of 2008–09, DraftExpress.com said, "One of the most pleasant surprises in last season’s mediocre SEC [Southeastern Conference] was the emergence of Vanderbilt freshman Jeff Taylor."[3] He averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds[4] on his way to SEC All-Freshman honors.[5] However, he showed one weakness in an otherwise solid season by shooting only 22 percent from three-point range.[6]
His sophomore season saw some progress, but also some cause for concern; one scout said near the end of the season, "while he is improved in many areas, he has regressed in some as well."[7] Taylor improved his scoring average to 13.3 per game, but his rebounding dropped slightly to 5.2 per game.[4] The most obvious issue was his perimeter shooting, which saw a decline; he attempted only 11 three-pointers and made only one.[6] Nonetheless, he was named to the All-SEC second team by the league's coaches, and was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.[8]
In 2010–11, he further established his reputation as a defensive stopper, frequently being called on to defend every position on the floor except center[9] while again being named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.[10] Taylor also improved his three-point shooting to a more respectable 34.5%[11] while attempting more than twice as many shots from behind the arc as in his first two seasons combined.[4] Averaging 14.7 points and 5.5 rebounds, he was again named second-team All-SEC.[10]
Taylor was widely viewed as a potential early entry into the 2011 NBA draft, based mainly on his athleticism and defensive skills.[6][12] However, he decided to stay at Vanderbilt for his senior season in 2011–12. His decision to return, along with those of fellow stars John Jenkins and Festus Ezeli, made the Commodores a likely preseason top-10 pick.[13][14][15]
Professional career
Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets (2012–2015)
Taylor was selected with 31st overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Charlotte Bobcats. On July 13, 2012, he signed his first professional contract with the Bobcats.[16]
On November 23, 2012, Taylor scored a career high 16 points in a 91–101 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.[17]
On December 21, 2013, it was announced that Taylor would miss the remainder of the season with a torn right Achilles tendon.[18] He had been averaging 8.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per game.[19]
After serving out his 24-game suspension by the NBA that was handed down to him in September 2014 for assaulting his girlfriend, Taylor was set to return to action with a stint in the NBA Development League with the Hornets' affiliate team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.[20] However, with the maximum allowance of four NBA players already being on assignment to the Mad Ants, the flexible assignment rule was used on December 28, 2014 so the Hornets could assign Taylor to the Austin Spurs, the San Antonio Spurs' one-to-one D-League affiliate.[21] He was recalled by the Hornets on January 9, 2015.[22]
On June 30, 2015, the Hornets decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Taylor, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.[23]
Real Madrid (2015–2022)
On August 27, 2015, Taylor signed a one-year deal with the Spanish team Real Madrid.[24]
In May 2018, Real Madrid won the 2017–18 EuroLeague championship, after defeating Fenerbahçe Doğuş in the final game with 85–80.[25] Over 34 EuroLeague games, Taylor averaged 5.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
BC Wolves (2022–present)
On December 23, 2022, Taylor signed with BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) until the end of the 2022–23 season.[26]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| † | Denotes season in which Taylor's team won the EuroLeague |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Vanderbilt | 31 | 31 | 26.0 | .502 | .220 | .691 | 6.2 | 1.7 | .9 | .4 | 12.2 |
| 2009–10 | Vanderbilt | 33 | 33 | 26.8 | .493 | .091 | .746 | 5.2 | 1.7 | 1.1 | .4 | 13.3 |
| 2010–11 | Vanderbilt | 34 | 33 | 31.7 | .449 | .345 | .719 | 5.5 | 2.4 | 1.0 | .6 | 14.7 |
| 2011–12 | Vanderbilt | 36 | 36 | 32.1 | .493 | .423 | .605 | 5.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | .4 | 16.1 |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Charlotte | 77 | 29 | 19.6 | .431 | .344 | .728 | 1.9 | .8 | .6 | .2 | 6.1 |
| 2013–14 | Charlotte | 26 | 8 | 24.2 | .376 | .269 | .553 | 2.3 | .8 | .5 | .2 | 8.0 |
| 2014–15 | Charlotte | 29 | 13 | 14.8 | .395 | .306 | .634 | 1.8 | .8 | .4 | .2 | 4.4 |
| Career | 132 | 50 | 19.4 | .409 | .319 | .665 | 2.0 | .8 | .5 | .2 | 6.1 | |
EuroLeague
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Real Madrid | 25 | 3 | 15.2 | .473 | .323 | .611 | 2.1 | .5 | .2 | .1 | 4.3 | 2.6 |
| 2016–17 | Real Madrid | 30 | 22 | 15.5 | .500 | .392 | .667 | 1.8 | .5 | .4 | .1 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| 2017–18† | Real Madrid | 34 | 23 | 20.6 | .419 | .352 | .700 | 1.9 | 1.2 | .5 | .1 | 5.9 | 4.7 |
| 2018–19 | Real Madrid | 34 | 22 | 18.2 | .534 | .448 | .630 | 1.6 | 1.4 | .3 | .1 | 5.6 | 4.9 |
| 2019–20 | Real Madrid | 24 | 14 | 18.6 | .444 | .393 | .667 | 2.1 | 1.3 | .4 | .1 | 4.8 | 3.9 |
| Career | 147 | 84 | 17.8 | .472 | .388 | .667 | 1.9 | 1.0 | .4 | .1 | 5.1 | 4.0 | |
International career
Taylor participated in the 2013 edition of the EuroBasket. It was his first official appearance with the Swedish senior squad. He was Sweden's top scorer, averaging 21.2 points per game, along with 4.6 rebounds per game.[27]
Personal life
Taylor is the second-oldest[1] of the six children of Jeff Taylor, who briefly played in the NBA before playing in Sweden, where he lived until his death.[28] While the younger Taylor is a citizen of both Sweden and the United States by birth, he played for Norrköping Dolphins youth team, and has lived in the U.S. since 2006, he has said, "...if someone asks where I'm from, I say Sweden." However, he grew up steeped in the basketball culture of Hobbs, New Mexico, where his father was a high school star in the late 1970s:
I just always wanted to be a Hobbs High School Eagle. It’s kind of a thing I always grew up with. I heard stories about their crowds and stuff like that.[28]
Taylor left Sweden for Hobbs in 2006, at the age of 17, moving in with his grandmother. Besides his desire to play at his father's alma mater, he determined that playing high school basketball in America would enhance his college basketball prospects.[28] He quickly drew major interest from NCAA Division I programs, especially after a senior season when he averaged more than 30 points while leading Hobbs to a state title.[28][29]
Taylor, named one of the top 150 recruits in the country by ESPN, considered about a half-dozen schools before narrowing his choices to Vanderbilt and Texas, eventually choosing Vanderbilt. He was one of three top-150 recruits signed by Commodores head coach Kevin Stallings in 2008.[28]
Assault
On September 25, 2014, Taylor was arrested at a hotel in East Lansing, Michigan, charged with one count of domestic assault, assault, and malicious destruction of property.[30][31] He was later suspended by the NBA for 24 games without pay after he pleaded guilty to the charges.[32] He also received a one-year suspension from the Swedish national team.[33]
References
- ^ a b . VUCommodores.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ^ Jeffrey Taylor Recruiting Profile
- ^ Givony, Jonathan; Nelson, Kyle (September 18, 2009). "Top NBA Draft Prospects in the SEC (Part One: #1-5)". DraftExpress.com. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Jeffery Taylor Profile". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ "Ogilvy, Taylor Named All-SEC" (Press release). Vanderbilt University Athletics. March 10, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ a b c Brennan, Eamonn (June 28, 2011). "Letters From Camp: Jeffery Taylor from 3?". College Basketball Nation Blog. ESPN.com. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ Nelson, Kyle (March 18, 2010). "NCAA Weekly Performers, 3/18/10". DraftExpress.com. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ "Coaches' All-SEC Team Commodore-laden" (Press release). Vanderbilt University Athletics. March 9, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ Givony, Jonathan (March 18, 2011). "Trending Prospects (3/18/2011)". DraftExpress.com. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ a b "2011 SEC Men's Hoops Awards Announced" (Press release). Southeastern Conference. March 8, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ Brennan, Eamonn (August 9, 2011). "Summer Buzz: Vanderbilt Commodores". College Basketball Nation Blog. ESPN.com. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ "NBA Prospect Profile: Jeff Taylor". DraftExpress.com. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ Bergeron, Elena (August 9, 2011). "CBB Summer Buzz: Vanderbilt". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 20, 2011. (full article behind paywall; cited information in free preview)
- ^ Katz, Andy (August 9, 2011). "Festus Ezeli continues to learn the game". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ Vitale, Dick (July 26, 2011). "Dickie V Preseason Top 40: Top 10". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ Jeffery Taylor Player Profile – RealGM
- ^ . Archived from the original on November 24, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- ^ Jeffery Taylor Injury Update January 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Jeff Taylor NBA & ABA Stats
- ^ https://www.si.com/nba/2014/11/21/jeff-taylor-domestic-violence-suspension-nba-adam-silver
- ^ Hornets Assign Jeffery Taylor To Austin Spurs of NBA D-League
- ^ Hornets Recall Jeffery Taylor From Austin Spurs
- ^ Charlotte Hornets will not give Jeffery Taylor a qualifying offer, will become an unrestricted free agent
- ^ "Official Announcement: Jeffery Taylor". realmadrid.com. December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
- ^ "Real Madrid is 2018 EuroLeague champion". euroleague.net. May 20, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
- ^ "Euroleague champion joins BC Wolves". bcwolves.com. December 23, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ Player profile EuroBasket 2013
- ^ a b c d e . Nashville City Paper. April 22, 2008. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ "Jag vill ha mer respekt" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ "Jeff Taylor arrested for assault". ESPN. September 26, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ "Hornets Small Forward Jeff Taylor Charged With Domestic Assault". Deadspin. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ Jeff Taylor suspended 24 games
- ^ . Archived from the original on November 23, 2014.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
- at acb.com (in Spanish)
- Jeffery Taylor at draftexpress.com
- Jeffery Taylor at eurobasket.com
- Jeffery Taylor at euroleague.net
- at vucommodores.com
- Jeffery Taylor on Instagram