Isaiah Taylor compares Ataman to Maksvytis, recalls doubts about his signing / News - Basketnews.com

Isaiah Taylor was well aware of the skepticism surrounding Zalgiris' decision to sign him, but his abilities have now propelled them toward the EuroLeague playoffs.

Credit: Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS Credit Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS

The depressing winter weather in Kaunas, Lithuania, can be quite a shock for foreigners. With the sun shining for a mere 15 hours during the entire month of January, it's enough to make anyone feel down.

Free throws this season

79%14,2Points made:14,2Accuracy:79,4%Place in standings:7Record max:28Record min:5Most made FTs:Keenan EvansTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

But for Isaiah Taylor, the winter weather was nothing compared to his challenges during the first part of the EuroLeague season.

When asked by BasketNews about what was worse, the grey clouds in Kaunas or the traffic in Istanbul, Taylor, born in California, didn't hesitate to answer.

"Istanbul traffic. It's not even close!" he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face.

"Man, there are people on the streets selling food. People in the freeways. The lights don't really matter. Whether it's red, yellow, or green, people just do what they want," Taylor laughed. "It's kind of crazy. I would rather be in Lithuanian weather than Istanbul's traffic, for sure."

Encountering the challenges of navigating through the chaotic streets of Istanbul, Taylor also faced some serious traffic in Efes' perimeter.

Even before Shane Larkin, the single-game EuroLeague scoring record holder, returned to the court, the Efes backcourt was already stacked with talent.

Back-to-back finals MVP Vasilije Micic was a force to be reckoned with, while veteran Rodrigue Beaubois had a solid year. The team also boasted the efficient and experienced Elijah Bryant and superstar player Will Clyburn on the perimeter.

That was a reason that forced Efes to opt out of the one-year agreement with Taylor in January.

Credit Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

However, it didn't take long for Zalgiris to recognize Taylor's potential and offer him a contract to replace the injured Keenan Evans.

While some might view the move from back-to-back EuroLeague champions to the last team of the previous year as a downgrade, it seems to have been a blessing in disguise for Taylor.

Isaiah Taylor

Team:Zalgiris KaunasPosition:PGAge:28Height:191 cmWeight:77 kgBirth place:California, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Zalgiris has been performing surprisingly well lately and is in a slightly better position to make the playoffs than Efes, with only two regular season games left to play.

It's funny how the tables have turned, isn't it?

"To be honest, when we have dropped a few games against Barcelona and Real Madrid, I've heard rumors that everybody was counting us out," Taylor recalled in an interview with BasketNews.

"Now everybody is kind of back on a bandwagon. We win two in a row, and everybody is saying we have a chance," Taylor said in Zalgiris' locker room following the win over Valencia Basket, 95-74.

"But to be honest, I don't keep those people over there. My confidence, my swagger... I believe we can make it to the playoffs. That's how I think. As we're coming to the last two regular season games, we got to treat those as playoff games. We're fighting for our life," he added.

Despite losing their potential EuroLeague MVP candidate, Zalgiris has won seven out of the ten games with Taylor.

Taylor has proved to be a valuable addition to the team, with an average of 8.7 points and 2.8 assists per game, shooting an 48.3% from the 2-point range and 70% from the 3-point range.

Although Taylor faced some early injuries that limited his playing time, he has quickly found his place on the team, primarily due to his unstoppable first step and tenacious on-ball defense.

Taylor produced the best plus/minus rating on the team since he joined in Round 18, per BBallytics. With Taylor on the court, Zalgiris has allowed an impressive 9.7 points less per 100 possessions, the best on the squad.

"I think there was some speculation around me," Taylor recalled his first days with Zalgiris.

"Going to Efes and not playing much, so people didn't get to see me what I could do on the Euroleague level. Coming to Zalgiris. If Keenan was their best player, being the go-to guy and the leading scorer of a team, me replacing him, I think there was kind of skepticism, "Yo, can he lead the team? Can he do it?" Taylor was aware of the skepticism around.

"When I hear stuff like that, I don't really worry too much about it. I know who I am. I know who I can be on the court," he declared.

Was there much belief in Zalgiris' locker room when their best player went down for the rest of the season?

"To be honest, I'm not sure. Our locker room is very quiet, to be honest," Taylor laughed.

Zalgiris may not be the most vocal team, but their play on the court speaks volumes. They have developed a reputation for being warriors, fighting against much larger and more imposing opponents.

They do it with intensity and style, as exemplified by Taylor's and Achille Polonara's flexing, Ignas Brazdeikis' "too small," and Karolis Lukosiunas' championship belt celebrations.

"Our locker room is really quiet. If you're coming here before practices, nobody is talking, and nothing is really going on," Taylor laughs.

"But at the same time, I think just from the leading scorer going down in any team, knowing where Zalgiris was last year in the standings, and now they're fighting for the playoffs, it's acceptable to have some optimism about making the playoffs. For me to fill those shoes, I can do it. I'm not really worried about it," he assured.

Switching from being a rookie to a leader in a EuroLeague team is never an easy task. Isaiah Taylor found himself in such a position when he joined Anadolu Efes in his debut season in the competition. However, he had the privilege of learning from the best in the business.

Taylor played alongside Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic, two of the most accomplished EuroLeague guards in recent years.

"You just can tell that they were really seasoned. You can tell that they've been in the EuroLeague for a long time," Taylor recalled his time with Micic and Larkin.

"Them just knowing the reads, just making a game kind of easy, I think that's something I can take from them for sure," he added.

"I know that Shane had his injury coming back, but once he got going, you could tell that Shane really knows the game. Vasa, also. Those guys have been together for almost 4-5 years. Clyburn came in. For the time I was there, it was nice. It was nice to see that talent on the floor and what they could do."

Taylor and his head coach Kazys Maksvytis have developed a tight relationship during their time together in Kaunas. Despite being a new addition to the team, Taylor has not been afraid to share his thoughts and emotions on the court with Maksvytis.

The two are often seen engaged in passionate conversations about the game. But despite any disagreements they may have, their mutual respect and trust are always evident.

After these conversations, Taylor and Maksvytis can be seen bumping fists and sharing high-fives, a sign of the strong bond they have formed. It's clear that this type of relationship is what Taylor needs to thrive, and it's paying dividends for Zalgiris on the court.

"I would say here in Zalgiris, we're more vocal with the coaches, from the head coach to the last assistant," Taylor was asked to compare his connection with Ergin Ataman and Kazys Maksvytis by BasketNews.

Credit Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS

"I think I'm more vocal when talking to them throughout the game. In Efes, it wasn't so much. There is a kind of distance between players and coaches if that makes sense," he added.

"But I like my relationship with the coaches. It's kind of different being in Europe than in America. You can kind of depend on your personality. I'm the type of person that likes to speak. I like dialogue. You can tell me, 'Isaiah, shut up!' And I don't take it personally," Taylor explained.

"That's something that will help me, especially with the coaching staff, knowing that I can talk to you, and you can talk to me. Nobody gets emotional, and we move on to the next play."

To secure a playoff spot, Zalgiris not only need to win their two remaining games against Maccabi Tel Aviv at home and Bayern Munich away, but they also need some other results to go their way.

However, just being in the playoff race is already a significant accomplishment for Zalgiris.

In Taylor's eyes, Zalgiris have something that makes them strong among competitors.

"Our execution. When we execute our game plan, I think we're really good," Taylor pointed out.

"I think that showed against Valencia. Us executing the game plan, knowing what we're running, when we're running it, and how we're running it. And just playing hard. We know that the image of our team, I guess, is that we're playing hard and we're tough. But at the same time, we have talent too. I don't want to slight anybody in this locker room. If we couldn't put the ball in the bucket, we couldn't win the game," Taylor concluded.

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