Hornets’ Jeff Taylor also struggled in outside shooting

Jeff Taylor

Position: Small forward

Contract status: Taylor will be an unrestricted free agent in July.

Seasons in the NBA: Three.

Telling statistic: Due to an Achilles tendon rupture two seasons ago and a 24-game NBA suspension this season. Taylor had more game appearances (77) and starts (29) as a rookie than in his following two seasons combined (54 and 21).

Season review: Between Achilles surgery and the suspension related to a domestic-violence charge in Michigan, Taylor missed nearly a year of basketball. It took him another two months to work himself back to Clifford feeling comfortable playing Taylor with a victory at stake.

Taylor got a handful of starts late in the season when Kidd-Gilchrist sprained his left ankle, since he was the next-best option defensively at small forward. He guarded well but, for a player with a reputation as a 3-point shooter, his career 32 percent isn’t particularly impressive. Taylor is arguably this franchise’s best second-round pick since the Bobcats started in 2004. The question about whether he’d re-sign could come down to how other teams value him as a free agent.

This story was originally published April 18, 2015 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Hornets’ Jeff Taylor also struggled in outside shooting."