Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague 2013-14 Season Review
By Adam McGee
It was almost like Jeff Teague had a split personality in his fifth season as an Atlanta Hawk.
There were patches of the season were Teague looked like an undisputed All-Star, with his game having transformed to another level, and then there was the rest of the time when he appeared like the epitome of mediocrity.
Regular observers of the Hawks often state that, when Teague is aggressive, Atlanta is a better team and more often that not, they win. This is true, but Atlanta needs to find a way to make Teague aggressive more frequently.
Coach Mike Budenholzer regularly talks of the importance of his point guard playing aggressively, and having worked with Tony Parker for years, it’s understandable why. When you look at Teague’s game, it’s designed to attack, yet sometimes he falls back into the same conservative trap.
Teague started the season on pace for career highs across the board. It was only when Al Horford went down injured that Teague’s productivity really began to drop off. It was probably the time when the Hawks needed his aggression more than ever, yet Teague became passive.
It seems as if it just takes Teague time to adjust into any new role, and by the time the playoffs rolled around, Teague was back at the peak of his powers. This leaves the Hawks, and their fans, with a lot of questions though.
Although the bookends to his season were outstanding, what could have been if Teague had been consistent in between?
Let’s take a closer look at his season, and break down the positives and negatives of Teague’s year.