Jermaine Taylor: Former Viper Starring In Summer League

by Matthew Brennan, NBA D-League.com

LAS VEGAS, July 11, 2010: After two days of action in the Las Vegas Summer League, one of the undisputed stars has been the Houston Rockets' Jermaine Taylor. Taylor, the 32nd pick in last year's NBA Draft, has led the Rockets in scoring and helped the team get off to a 2-0 start. Taylor played sparingly with the Rockets in his rookie season, but he showed flashes of his ability on several assignment stints to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In the NBA D-League, Taylor was able to get plenty of opportunities to play and improve his game, which has become evident with his fast start to the Summer League.

"Playing with the Vipers helped me out a lot in terms of my confidence," said Taylor after scoring 21 points in a win over the Mavericks on Saturday night. "With the Rockets I wasn't getting a lot of minutes or playing much. My confidence never went down, but I was questioning myself a little. When I went down there it just helped me realize that I could still play."

With the Rockets and the Vipers in the first year of their hybrid-affiliation, Taylor did not have to make many adjustments as Rio Grande Valley was running the same sets and play calls as their NBA affiliate. The fact that the Vipers coaching staff is under the direction of the Rockets front office also made things easier when it came to deciding what Taylor's role would be with the Vipers.

"We had him for just little spots, and then the Rockets had an injury and he had to go back up," said Vipers head coach Chris Finch, who is part of the staff of the Rockets Summer League team. "Obviously he didnt play a whole lot in Houston, and the player he is he played a lot of minutes in college. We were able to put in practice the things that he had learned in Houston. We basically just turned him loose and let him play his game."

The strategy of turning Taylor loose showed results, as he posted 19.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in a total of eight games while shooting 54% from the field. The Vipers compiled a 5-3 record with Taylor in the lineup. His best game came on February 2, where he put up 32 points on 14-23 shooting.

"It was really helpful, the plays and the calls are the same," said Taylor about his assignment stints. "I went down there and I was very comfortable and I knew what I needed to do."

Now in Las Vegas, Taylor has been asked to play a big role for the Rockets in Summer League and he's responded with great numbers. After his first two games, Taylor is averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting .567 from the field.

"So far, it's shown me that the hard work pays off," said Taylor on his Las Vegas success. "I spent the whole summer working hard on my game and trying to get better. It's been working for me here in Las Vegas."

The Rockets believe that Taylor has a world of potential, and Finch was quick to describe the different ways that he can help the team in his second NBA season. So far the former Conference USA Player of the Year has been displaying that potential for a big audience in Las Vegas.

"He has the capability to be a defensive stopper, but that's a new role for him and something he still has to grow into," said Finch. "Offensively he is an incredible scorer and can put up points in a variety of ways, it's just a way of finding how he can be most efficient. That means taking open shots, simple, strong quick moves, and getting out and running the floor where his athleticism can come into play."

Of course, heading into only his second season, the young guard can still make a return to Rio Grande Valley if he needs more seasoning. But if he can parlay his Las Vegas form into playing an expanded role for Houston, then he may join starter Aaron Brooks as a key Rocket who used a stint on assignment in the NBA D-League to his advantage.

"I think there's a possibility, everything is up in the air right now, but you look at what the Rockets did with Joey Dorsey," added Finch. "They gave him a chance to come down and get a body of work in both his first and second season. I know that Houston is pleased with Jermaine's summer and obviously he is being featured here. He's done a good job in stepping into that role, so maybe he builds on that and we don't see him down there."