The Milwaukee Bucks are continuing to do their due diligence on prospects ahead of the NBA Draft, and the latest prospect they are eying is Texas Tech's Wade Taylor IV. While a workout can't hurt, there are certainly some immediate concerns with the 21-year-old point guard, primarily revolving around his height and efficiency.
The Bucks' latest workout comes with concerns
Right off the bat, Taylor IV stands at 6-feet, 186 lbs. In today's league, smaller guards are becoming increasingly rare due to opposing teams targeting them defensively. Big guards and wings are all the rage in the game today due to the versatility that this type of build can provide the team with. More often than not, smaller guards cannot replicate that and have a target on their backs defensively.
Yes, there are some exceptions, such as Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, who is 6-foot-2, but he makes up for what he lacks in height with his elite scoring prowess on all three levels. Taylor IV doesn't have that in his arsenal.
During his four-year career at Texas A&M, Taylor averaged a decent 14.6 points per game, but he shot a brutal 36.6 percent from the floor and 32.3 percent from downtown. He can put up points, but the numbers suggest that it will take him a lot of shots to get them. That's simply not something a small guard can afford to do as they look to carve out a role in the NBA.
To be clear, there are things to like about Taylor IV. He's a quality athlete, which the Milwaukee Bucks need on the roster, and his passing (3.5 assists) and defensive instincts (1.5 steals) are both decent. Even at his size, he's also shown some positive play defensively, putting forth effort to make things as challenging as he can for his matchup.
Yet, the question remains about whether or not the good can outweigh the concerns when efficiency and defense are two prominent factors at the next level.
The Milwaukee Bucks have shown that they aren't afraid to work out small guards ahead of the draft. Not only have they eyed 6-foot-3 AJ Hoggard, but they also have worked out 6-foot-1 Mark Sears to potentially give them some depth at point guard. It makes sense to look at as many guards as they possibly can to give them depth in Damian Lillard's absence.
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