Bullets import a second coming of Kings cult hero

• Terry Taylor was signed by the Brisbane Bullets to replace injured star Casey Prather
• Taylor will join the Bullets, alongside returning import Javon Freeman-Liberty, after the FIBA break
• He was part of the Stockton Kings' G League championship side earlier this year

Coming into NBL26, the Brisbane Bullets had plenty of skeptics.

The appointment of Stu Lash was questionable in its process, the local depth was thin, but if there was one source of inspiration, it was the acquisition of an import trio possessing plenty of upside.

Between the league’s 2022 MVP Jaylen Adams, a resurgent Casey Prather and lauded G League bucket-getter Javon Freeman-Liberty, Brisbane had the talent on paper to put together a respectable season. Unfortunately, with Freeman-Liberty parting ways early, Adams benched and eventually cut, and Prather’s season-ending injury, those hopes quickly faded, and the team has had to quickly pick up the pieces to salvage together a decent back half of the year.

With Freeman-Liberty returning as a familiar commodity, and the sharpshooting guard Dakota Mathias now several games in, it’s the injection of new import Terry Taylor into the forward spot that remains their last piece of the puzzle.

Already several games back from play-in contention, let’s dive into whether Taylor should give Bullets fans any slither of hope.

BASKETBALL BACKGROUND

Terry Taylor was a dominant mid-major player at Austin Peay across 2017-2021, where he spent the entirety of his college career. The forward dominated the Ohio Valley conference, particularly across his junior and senior seasons, where he would lead the conference in both points and rebounds.

Since entering the 2021 NBA Draft, Taylor has spent four years as a pro, oscillating between the NBA and NBA G League.

With the myriad of two-way opportunities available in the current NBA landscape, it’s no longer surprising to see NBL imports that have logged NBA minutes, but Terry Taylor’s rookie season was more than a brief cameo - the first-year pro averaging 21.6 minutes per game for the Sacramento Kings across 33 appearances.

The production was good, too - Taylor averaged 9.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Since that season, Taylor hasn’t experienced any comparative level of opportunity at the NBA level, but he has dominated the G League. Over three seasons, Taylor accumulated averages of 18.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, shooting 52.1% from the field and 37.4% from the three point line.

This will be Terry’s second stint playing outside of the US. Terry spent a brief period of time with the Ningbo Rockets in the Chinese CBA before his contract was terminated due to injury.

AN INSIGHT INTO HIS GAME

I had to do a double take when I looked at Terry Taylor on paper.

Listed at 6'4", most would expect a guard skill-set, but instead I found one of the G League’s most prolific rebounders. His unique archetype as an undersized, high motor forward is immediately reminiscent of former NBL success story Jae’Sean Tate, compounded by their distinct aesthetic as lefties.

The parallels don’t stop there, either.

Taylor plays strong, physical basketball and attacks the rim with force, proving too quick for bigger frontcourt players, and too strong for smaller or slighter ones. He’s not the same above the rim athlete Tate was, but he’s similarly effective in transition, and in the halfcourt he’s comfortable backing players down and finishing with touch in the paint.

A prolific offensive rebounder that has averaged over three offensive boards per game throughout his G League career, Taylor will find ways to score and create second chance opportunities for his team even without the ball in his hands.

When Taylor isn’t dominating inside, he’s capable of making you pay from beyond the perimeter. It’s not his first preference, nor is it the most picturesque release, but Taylor appears comfortable knocking down the three-ball when it’s given to him, with a mark of 37.9% from three across his G League sample. Fascinatingly, Taylor scarcely took outside shots at the NBA level, with an unconvincing career sample of 19-from-66 (28.8%), leaving some room for doubt about his ability to confidently space the floor.

Off the catch, Terry seems more inclined to drive, but will defer to his jump shot depending on how his defender plays him.

What really separates Taylor as an offensive talent is his handle, but also his vision. Capable of making plays off the dribble for himself and others, and functioning as a more connective passer in short roll situations, Taylor probably falls short of being defined as a point-forward, but he’s certainly someone capable of creating offence and making fantastic reads in a variety of situations.

Defensively, Taylor is physical, and appears best suited to guarding frontcourt players. There’s a natural physical limitation as a rim protector, but it’s worth noting that Terry has played NBA minutes at both the four and five positions.

HIS FIT WITH THE BULLETS

With Terry coming in to fill the absence of Casey Prather, the league’s top scorer outside of Bryce Cotton, there are big shoes to fill, and at best he can only hope to replicate a similar level of offensive production - which he certainly appears capable of doing.

While it’s a high bar to expect the same level of scoring volume, Taylor should make a formidable combination cleaning the glass alongside Tyrell Harrison, and it would not be a high bar for him to exceed Prather’s defensive shortcomings.

With the evolving Brisbane roster which now features one less ball-handler with the absence of Adams, and one more off-ball scorer in Dakota Mathias, the ball will well and truly be in Taylor’s hands. We’ll presumably see a slightly different role for Freeman-Liberty in his returning stint with the team; at the start of the season often trading possessions with Adams and struggling to find utility off-ball at times. However, Freeman-Liberty has never displayed a propensity to distribute throughout his career, so it’s going to be vital that Terry’s touches are emphasised.

I would expect to see some potential for a budding two-man game between Terry and Harrison in the front-court, given Terry’s skill-set versatility and interior passing, and with Jacob Holt and Tohi Smith-Milner either unproven or unconvincing holding down the non-Harrison centre minutes, we may indeed see the 6'4" Taylor man the middle at times, matchups permitting.

SUMMARY

As a 6'4" forward, Terry Taylor is a unique basketball player, but it means he comes into the NBL with an extremely versatile offensive skillset, as well as a physicality and motor that appears like a proven formula for NBL success.

With where the Bullets currently sit this far into the NBL season, it would be unfair to gauge Terry’s success based on the Bullets ability to win games or turn their season around, but there is a chance that between his addition, and the return Sam McDaniel still to come, that the Bullets will start to show some signs of life.

If Terry is able to live up to expectations and contribute heavily towards that momentum, then the real win for the Bullets this season may be in identifying a high level NBL import and hopefully negotiating his retention beyond this season.

About the Author

Michael Houben is an Australian basketball writer and scout based in Melbourne, Victoria. As well as covering the game as a journalist, Michael supports US colleges to identify and recruit Australian talent as the owner of Airtime Scouting, and supports grassroots athletes through Airtime Basketball.