Justin Taylor has been given a long leash this season. The guard is averaging five points, nearly four rebounds, and one assist per game. While these numbers may not stick out, head coach Adrian Autry pointed out Taylor’s consistent work ethic.
“I’m with these guys everyday,” said Autry following Syracuse’s 88-85 win over Notre Dame. “These are young men that are trying to help us win and they do everything I ask them to do…Taylor is an everyday guy in this game. Sometimes you’re going to go through not making a shot, you’re going to go through some stuff, but he never quit.”
Taylor notched 10 points on Saturday. He hasn’t hit that mark since earlier this month against Wake Forest. Taylor has hit double-digit tallies in just seven out of SU’s 28 games this year.
“I thought he came out with a mindset of being a mover and creating some scoring opportunities for himself,” said Autry. “I was happy for him just as a guy that shows up everyday. As a coach, these are the guys you pull for…when you have a guy that hasn’t played the best that he’s capable of. He didn’t hold his head down, he kept working.”
Syracuse fans know at this point what they’re getting out of Taylor. His shot volume varies game to game, and he can knock down a three-pointer here and there.
The idea of Quadir Copeland starting over Taylor has been shut down at this point. Earlier this season, Copeland had his fair share of double-digit point performances. He’s been extremely relevant and important this season off the bench. He provides a spark and energy off the bench, and usually ends up playing more minutes than Taylor.
Taylor still plays a big part on Syracuse, but he’s too inconsistent. He sometimes can be lost on the floor and seems out of the picture on offense, but this has been the notion since ACC play began, and it hasn’t changed. When Taylor is on, he can alleviate a lot of the stress from Mintz and Starling.
Taylor looks to build on his performance over the weekend when Syracuse hosts Virginia Tech tonight at 7:00 p.m. He combined for 22 points last season against the Hokies.
With the ACC tournament looming, Taylor still can find his groove late in the year.
