Atlanta Hawks Player Profile: Jeff Teague

By Troy Tauscher | Aug 13, 2015

May 24, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) looks on during a time out against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks boasted a very impressive resume — 60 wins, a conference finals appearance and four All-Star players made for a more than solid season. One of these All-Stars happens to be the floor manager of the squad. That man is Jeff Teague.

Teague being an All-Star and leading one of the best offenses in the league was hardly a forgone conclusion. The 19th pick in the 2009 draft, Teague started a combined 10 games in his first two seasons. After he inherited the starting job, he immediately began to make an impact, averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 assists per game in the 2011-12 season.

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Since then, Teague has gotten better with each season, making the Hawks better and better as his game evolves. The Hawks will need him to maintain his level of play to compensate for offseason losses and keep their success alive.

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Teague is a great player for how the Hawks like to play. He is versatile, not ball dominant and a good leader. He gladly does his part for the team and shows no frustration about playing in a system that diminishes individual stats.

If I had to pick one identifying skill of Teague’s all-around game, it would be his ability to drive to the basket. He was sixth in drives per game and made 46 percent of his attempts, per NBA.com.

Teague is fast, and he also has the agility to slow down and make flashy moves from top speed. He doesn’t barrel over any defender in his path. He gets around them through creativity and body control.

Teague uses his speed and oft-overlooked athleticism to get transition buckets. That, combined with a high level of defensive awareness, makes him a solid end-to-end player.

In this clip, Teague astutely watches Ramon Sessions and tracks his passing lane. He then takes the step at just the right time to interfere with the shot. Then he bolts down the right sideline behind the two transition defenders and voila…buckets.

This is what Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens had to say about Teague:

Stevens: "I don't know what a superstar is, but I'll say this: Nobody in the league can keep Jeff Teague in front of them. Nobody."
— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) January 15, 2015

On top of his individual scoring talent, Teague is both a skilled and willing passer. He can find passing lanes on the drive, and he doesn’t get caught falling into iso-ball hardly ever.

With a 34 percent clip from three, Teague is not an elite shooter, but he still does enough to not hurt the Hawks’ spacing. The Hawks like to run a system that has shooters at all positions, so Teague doesn’t need to rely on his jumper to carry the offense.

Ultimately, Teague has the three things needed to be a Hawk: versatility, unselfishness and intelligence. He is exactly what the Hawks need out of their floor general, and even though he is not a superstar, is crucial to the well-being of the team.

Teague’s list of weaknesses as a player is far shorter, but still important. I think his greatest shortcoming is that he is not yet comfortable being an offensive focal point, or trusting of his own outside shot.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers ran conservative pick-and-roll coverage to block Teague’s ability to drive. That, combined with a quick small-ball lineup that could close out on shooters, forced Teague to rely on nothing but his own shooting. He shot 32 percent from deep in the playoffs.

Jordan Schultz of the Huffington Post commented on Teague’s relative struggles.

"“But great point guards find a way to beat defenses, and Teague’s responsibility is to do just that. He hasn’t managed it yet in these playoffs, where his shooting percentage is down five points…”"

There’s nothing that Teague is terrible at. He just needs to consistently deliver at his highest level, and he’ll be able to do that better once he grows accustomed to a bigger fishbowl. He has shown great improvement, increasing his points per 36 minutes, PER, and Win Shares per 48 minutes every season he’s been in the league.

Teague is also a player who shows a good balance of respect and competitive fire. He said this in a video series he made where he talked about himself for fans, per FOX Sports.

"“I respect everybody’s game and I don’t knock no one’s hustle, but they’re going to learn to respect Jeff Teague.”"

He was right about people learning to respect him. Teague has become one of the best point guards in the Eastern Conference, a reality which some might find surprising. Being on the right team with the right coach at the right time can help a player jump a level, and it’s helped Teague.

He is the perfect point guard for the Hawks’ system, and still is underrated in some facets of his game. Teague is definitely a player to keep an eye on, because if the last six years are any indication, this season will be better than the last one.

Next: Are The 2014-15 Golden State Warriors An All-Time Great Team?

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