One of the most interesting players on the Indiana Pacers roster is Terry Taylor. Even though he is not a household name yet, he may be soon. His stock is trending upwards due to past and current success in the chances that he has been given.
People outside of Indiana are starting to take notice of this young athlete and how much of a problem he can be when he is on the floor.
Even though Terry Taylor did not take the most common route to the NBA, hard work got him a chance with the Indiana Pacers.
Terry went to Bowling Green High school in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He had a very successful tenure as a BG Purple. He was a state champion and earned a college scholarship to Austin Peay University. In his four years at Austin Peay, Terry averaged 19.7 points and 9.8 rebounds. Those are numbers that you see from most 7-foot centers that are on their way to being a lottery pick in the NBA. That is what makes Terry so unique, He is 6′ 5″!
Terry was not drafted out of college. His career did not stop there. He was good enough to continue playing, he not only with the Indiana Pacers Summer League team but also with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the G-League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers. It only took four games into his G-League career and some injuries on the Pacers roster to get him up to the big club.
In the four games that he played on the Mad Ants, Terry posted solid numbers. He averaged 29.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Ultimately, Terry was signed for the rest of the 2021-22 season with the Indiana Pacers as he started to open some eyes, and people started noticing that this small-town kid could play ball. Little did anyone know that this was just the beginning for Terry Taylor.
Where does Terry Taylor currently stand on the Indiana Pacers roster and what we should expect for this upcoming season?
Terry traveled with the team to Las Vegas to the NBA 2K23 Summer League and was expected to be one of the main guys. He only played three games before the Pacers saw all they needed to see. In those three games, he averaged 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds. This summer, Terry signed a one-year, 1.6 million dollar contract for this upcoming season.
In his limited action last season with the Pacers, Terry showed that he can be a reliable rotation player that can give this team a spark. With the roster questions that surround the Pacers and who will give the Pacers what, one thing that you can be sure about is production from Terry in some form or fashion. He has one of the highest offensive rebound rates in the NBA at 13.5%. The Pacers do not have a ton of forwards on the roster. Jalen Smith, Oshae Brissett, and Isaiah Jackson are the other true forwards on the team. You can place these guys at either the four or the five depending on the group that they are in there with.
I foresee Taylor being a big-time rotational player for the Indiana Pacers this season that comes in and defends and rebounds at a high rate. His sheer athleticism and work ethic gives him the ability to play like a 7-foot center in a 6′ 5″ body.
There will be times this upcoming season when the Pacers will have to rely on Taylor to give them big-time minutes in key situations. The team is young and they will certainly look to Taylor in situations to help him develop. With the way he has played in his past chances, Pacers fans have a good reason to be excited about the opportunities that Terry will get this upcoming season.