Tulsa 66ers Guard Tony Taylor Jr. Ready to Step Back Into Starting Role

After donning an NBA D-League uniform for three months in hopes of strutting his stuff and catching an NBA team's attention, Chris Quinn is now officially a member of the Cavaliers.

The 29 year old and five-year NBA veteran did a solid job of leading Tulsa, helping them earn a 15-10 record, all the while meshing well with the team's mix of NBA assignees, young guns, and fellow veterans like himself.

With Quinn moving on to greener pastures, however, the 66ers may not have to look very far for a successor to seamlessly pick up where Quinn left off.

As fate would have it, GWU alum Tony Taylor Jr. actually begin the season as the team's starting point guard after being drafted by Tulsa in the second round of this past fall's NBADL Draft. Just as Quinn left town, Taylor looked to prove he could handle the burden of being looked upon as a starter once again. The guard scored 14 points on 6 of 11 from the field in his first game back as the team's starting floor general on Tuesday.

Of course, Taylor's about as steady as they come with regard to intelligent playmakers. He has impressive and promising instincts, and knows how executive on them effectively. He sees the floor well and is an unselfish player, to say the least.

But he knows how to assert himself as a combo guard and take it the hole as well, if necessary. In college, Taylor accepted the responsibility of being his team's number one offensive option. Since his NBADL career has begun, the neophyte has been making an effort to find that ultimate balance between being able to lead his team with ease, all the while knowing when to turn up the heat offensively himself.

In sixteen games as a starter, Taylor has averaged 6.9 points (on 42% from the field and 46% from deep) and 3.8 assists. He now regains his starting role and will join the likes of Rasual Butler and Andy Rautins (both of whom were not starters earlier in the season) in the first unit.

Between those two past NBA vets, and all the different assignees that are shipped to Tulsa from Thunder on what almost seems to be a nightly basis, there's no doubt Taylor will continue to reap the benefits of being a starter once again with so much talent around him. As a floor general, there's nothing better than having confidence in your teammates. As a floor general's teammate, there's nothing better than knowing you'll be able to cash in on his sweet dimes on a regular basis.

Taylor's job is to make things easier on his teammates. The better they look, the better he looks too. There's no doubt that his past experience as a starter, paired with the work he's been able to put in these last few months, will prove that Taylor is making strides towards deserving a look from an NBA team this offseason, be it during Summer League or training camp.