Minnesota Timberwolves: November player grades

Jeff Teague

November: 9 GP, 31.8 MPG, 12.6 PPG, 8.1 APG, 1.6 SPG

Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers was a prime example of how frustrating Jeff Teague can be. In the first quarter, he dropped 10 points easily, looking like a man possessed to embarrass rookie point guard Collin Sexton.

Teague finished the game with 13 points on 12 shots. Ugh.

Teague has a -0.2 net rating on the season, and has looked extraordinarily fine throughout. He is a veteran’s veteran, a guy who knows what to do but rarely stands out.

The Timberwolves are third in the league in turnover percentage at just 13.4 percent, and Teague is a big reason why, but other than that, his impact comes in brief spurts followed by long periods of dormancy. That is not to say he stands around off-ball like John Wall does, but his impact is severely mitigated.

For someone posting a 3.46 assist-to-turnover ratio, 9th in the NBA, Teague is too often easy to forget about when he’s on the court. He helps the offense run, but for a point guard who doesn’t need the ball in his hands much — Teague’s usage rate is just 19.1 percent — he needs to stop hesitating so much on the perimeter and let it fly when he’s open.

Teague is often the third or fourth option on offense, so his stats for the month are solid, but he needs to be more consistent, plain and simple.

Grade: C+