Atlanta Hawks: Summer spotlight singes Teague
Not time to panic about 'Rook. (AP Photo)
Las Vegas–One bad Summer League game, one quote about deferring to J.J. and Co., and suddenly it seems like Teague has gone from savior to suspect in the eyes of some Hawks fans.
He apparently took so much guff from fans on Twitter it prompted him to tweet: dont you hate people who cant play at all but have so much 2 say smh.” That came a couple hours after he had tweeted after he tweeted: “my bad yesterday didnt have a good one”
I guess his fans agreed with him in terms that were a little too strong for his taste. Note to Teague: If you don’t like to hear mess from fans, probably best to leave Twitter alone.
It’s only two games into summer league. No doubt Teague had a bad game Wednesday but it’s tough to judge him when he’s playing with this group, just like it was tough to judge him when he was playing sporadic minutes under Woody. Shouldn’t we hold off on making strong declarations either way?
Earlier in the week Teague said: “I am kind of looking at this like I’m a rookie.” I know what he meant but he’s not a rookie and circumstances outside of his control dictate that he and the Hawks can’t look it that way. They have to find out what they have with Teague, and fast.
“We have to,” L.D. said.
Nevertheless, the inescapable reality is that Teague is still a young player finding his way. Figuring out how he can best use his skills on a team full of guys who want the ball and how to be assertive when he’s the least accomplished Hawks starter will be a process. L.D. likened it to what Rondo went through in Boston when he was suddenly expected to run point for a veteran team looking to contend.
“I told him Rondo went through a similar situation,” Drew said. “Rondo was not a rah-rah guy. He went through a rookie period and then he had all these veterans thrown at him. Then he stepped out of the box, which is what I want [Teague] to do.”
Obviously there’s no need to panic about Teague after just a couple Vegas games. But there does seem to be a bit of a gap this week between what L.D. and Lester Conner are saying and what Teague is saying.
The coaches say this is a big week for Teague to show how he can lead the team; Teague downplays the games because he’s playing with NBA hopefuls instead of Atlanta’s vets. The coaches want Teague to direct traffic, with Conner going to far as to allow Teague to call his own plays at times; Teague said he might give the ball up to others and let them initiate the offense.
Part of the disconnect probably has to do with Teague’s personality, which Conner described as a “laid-back, cool mentality.” There were times when Teague’s relaxed approach riled Woody, who wanted him to be more serious.
L.D. wants the same. He said he’s on top of it.
“We change the environment, it will change him,” L.D. said. “That’s how I feel. That’s my job.”
It’s only July. Maybe if Teague looks good against Milwaukee tonight–he said he can’t wait to redeem himself–he will feel the love again.
MC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
229 comments Add your comment
MsDee
July 15th, 2010
8:05 pm
I KNOW I am slow so can anybody tell me what SMH stands for..I know I will feel small once I find out.
OK
July 15th, 2010
8:06 pm
“Shaking my head”. Took me a while too but now I can’t stop using it.
dstdeelite
July 15th, 2010
8:07 pm
@ MsDee smh= shaking my head
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:07 pm
MC brings a bit of levity and sense to things, thank goodness.
Funny how summer league means what people want it to mean. A guy does good, and some people want to scoff at that, saying “hey, Marvin and Sheldon did great in summer league, and look how they’ve turned out.”
A guy does bad, and suddenly summer league is direct proof that he is this or that. Absolutely hilarious, but it’s nothing more than a faux chance at saying “I told you so”, which is all some people show up for anyway.
Further amusing is the idea that Woody was riled by Teague’s laid back approach.
Wasn’t this the same guy who infamously created a “fun and loose atmosphere” for these guys to work and practice in? Didn’t we see Josh Smith hamming it up with Woody on that documentary of training camp last year, with Marvin Williams laughing oh-so-goofily in the background? Weren’t guys just nonchalant as hell out there (we saw it ourselves, it was on film), and hasn’t that translated to the court, prompting guys like Joe Johnson and Al Horford to make semi-cryptic statements about guys not being serious or dedicated enough in the playoffs?
Am I blaming this all on Woody? No. But….what can be said? If the several of the more veteran players are F-ing around, then what example does the rookie have?
I expect better out of Drew, I expect better out of the team under Drew, and at least he’s acknowledging that there are problems on that front, and that he will deal with them adroitly.
In the meantime, I’m not going to throw Teague out just yet. I’ve seen too many decent or good point guards struggle early on to make a hasty judgement (Billups, Parker, Felton, Rondo, even Jennings who was given free reign in his team’s offense, and Johnny Flynn to name a few…he’s going to be good).
Let Teague prove himself one way or the other, and that proof won’t come in summer league. He’s closer to rookie than he is sophomore, anyway. Should we also let Jordan Crawford’s ability to score lead us to believe that he needs to play 25+ mpg, right off the bat? While we’re watching his 3 point bombs, we’re not paying attention to his reprehensible defense.
I wonder if Wizards fans are worried about John Wall’s incredible number of turnovers per game? Heh….
Melvin
July 15th, 2010
8:07 pm
I think we sign the 7-4 guy (Moussa Seck)thats on the Mavs SL team as our 13th guy. He’s not a bad looking project.
OK
July 15th, 2010
8:09 pm
dstdeelite, No Idea. Maybe it was just too much $$$ for an undrafted rookie. Utah would know better than us how he plays. They got rid of Brewer, Korver, and now Matthews. I just don’t know what they could be planning.
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:09 pm
Often the worst part of a very public job is the public. Doesn’t matter if you are athlete, entertainer, or politician. Need that thick skin & deaf ear to thrive…at least in public.
Ain’t that the truth. At least he gets paid more than most of us “public job” types. I mean, for REAL….
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:11 pm
Heh…y’all wanna know what Garrett Siler is up to these days? How about some summer league footage? Since we ain’t gonna spend anything on vet players, we may as well get him and Richard Hendrix.
I’d take Siler for just this one clip alone, LOL. Even Truth Serum has GOT to like this:
http://www.nba.com/video/games/heat/2010/07/15/1521000033_det_mia_play3.nba/?ls=iref:nbahpt2
dstdeelite
July 15th, 2010
8:12 pm
To be fair, some of those guys that Teague played against look like they had been balling for yeeaaaarrrrrs. Whoever signs Gee will be signing a gem. Dude was in beast mode last night. And that’s exactly how he should be in the SL. They are there to showcase their talent not get a free trip to Vegas.
STEEL (Formerly VenomSpitter)
July 15th, 2010
8:13 pm
This is Off Topic but who cares. Everybody watch this SHOCKING VIDEO of Lebron LMAO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xlzLOZH5c&feature=youtube_gdata
Anybody who watched wrestling in the 90s has gotta watch that.
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:17 pm
Big Ray once again you pretty much summed it up. The guy played bad for one half thats all. He calmed down in the second half and looked pretty good. Hopefully he has a good game tonight. I will be looking at the Gilder kid. He has some tools but man he is skinny as hell. They should start Aminu and Hendrix together. RandyMo has invisible on the boards and that’s what has killed them, the inability to grab a board.
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:19 pm
dstdeelite I think that Gee kid played for Washington at the end of the season. He has some talent and I wouldnt be shocked to see him make a team.
Latrell
July 15th, 2010
8:24 pm
I’m with those of you who suggest that we go easy on Teague, and give him a chance to prove himself. He’s young and inexperienced, you can’t expect him to develop into a star PG overnight.
Aside from that though, is anyone else surprised by how impressive Jordan Crawford has been thus far? He’s actually consistently been the best player on the Hawks summer league squad thus far and, in my opinion, has looked even more impressive at making plays for other than Teague. Not to mention that this guy looks very comfortable and plays with a great swagger for rookie. It’s too bad that he plays the same position as both Joe and Jamal Crawford, because he could be an immediate rotation player on the Hawks squad if he continues to progress at this level.
♥Mz. Hawkdafied♥
July 15th, 2010
8:24 pm
Whatever!
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:24 pm
CP,
Now RandyMo is a waste of time. He’s been in the league a few years and still can’t NOT foul out of a damn summer league game. Holy crap….
Mike is back
July 15th, 2010
8:25 pm
MC, I seen game 1…I didn’t get a chance to see game two…but I wouldn’t get overly concern with Teague’s play in summer league. He needs this time to grow.
You have guys who have never played together before all trying to learn a new sophisticated offensive system in a couple of weeks…they are going to look bad at times.
However, like Ms.Deestated…this is the time to make mistakes…let him try some stuff… so he can figure some things out.
Doc, I think what Teague is saying…can I please make my mistakes now…so I can be ready when I’m playing with the starters. I ‘m not trying to justify his play…we do need to keep things in perspective.
Let’s face it Teague is going to look terrible some days…and yes his development is crucial to the team, however Summer League is just the first step in the process. Apparently, his performance does matter to him… lets see how he bounces back.
Yeah we WF folk s STICK together like yall GT folks…cut’em slack JACK!!!!!!lol
♥Mz. Hawkdafied♥
July 15th, 2010
8:28 pm
Joe getting the fans told and now Teague. Oh lord, smh.
Whatever, time for the game.
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:32 pm
Big Ray I would have sent RandyMo home on a bus after the fist game. Dude has no fire what so ever. LD is giving him a chance and he just wont rebound the ball. 3D and the other guy were talking about his lack of fire and desire to rebound the ball.
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:34 pm
Great move Teague
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:35 pm
Good they went with Hendrix and Aminu. I like this Hendrix kid
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:40 pm
Teague is playing with more focus
MsDee
July 15th, 2010
8:41 pm
where is the game link?
OK
July 15th, 2010
8:41 pm
Teague with good D early.
OK
July 15th, 2010
8:43 pm
Trey Gilder With the Assist and he Draws a charge!
Mike is back
July 15th, 2010
8:44 pm
where is the game
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:45 pm
Huh. Mr. Teague with a bit of a fast start…
Najeh Davenpoop
July 15th, 2010
8:45 pm
Here’s the link to the game.
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:45 pm
http://atdhe.net/
OK
July 15th, 2010
8:45 pm
Mike,
http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-nba-summer-league-2.html
Samuel
July 15th, 2010
8:46 pm
Clyde,
Ya Boy Sean Williams with the fade-a-way
BigCaliDawg
July 15th, 2010
8:46 pm
dstdeelite
July 15th, 2010
8:03 pm
totally off the subject but why in the world did Utah let Wesley Matthew’s walk?? SMH
He got WAYYYYYYY overpaid. Had to. Portland must be desperate…….
I heard we gonna trade Joe to Seattle
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:47 pm
smh Luke Jackson
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:48 pm
Got to ATDHE.Net to watch the game for free….
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:49 pm
Heh….
Luke Jackson putting the ball on the floor = disaster
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:50 pm
Good effort from Teague
Najeh Davenpoop
July 15th, 2010
8:51 pm
Very smart play by Teague. Clearly he’s been watching some tapes of Jamal, drawing the foul on the long jumper.
MsDee
July 15th, 2010
8:51 pm
Teague haters where are yall!!
cp
July 15th, 2010
8:52 pm
Is Sy still hurt because I dont want to see anymore of Luke Jackson
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:53 pm
There he goes again…
Real Talk
July 15th, 2010
8:53 pm
@ CP Actually Dude had two bad halves one against Memphis and the second one against the Spurs get your facts straight patna looks like you a box score watcher but I understand why because they don’t even play the Hawks games during prime time which I don’t blame NBA TV for that I saw all I need to see in the miserable highlights. I would take turnovers out of an actual ROOKIE anyday than get done in by some people that haven’t even played in a real professional game. If Teague think the D-leaguers was doing him OMG just imagine what Wall and Bledsoe would do to him.
Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:53 pm
I wish I could see the game, but I don’t know how, but I’m kind of glad Teague said that about the fans in his Tweet, but just don’t go overboard. Cause we don’t need the many fair weather fans we have booing our basically 2nd year rookie PG who could turn out to be better than any PG in the league.
GO TEAGUE!!!!! I’m rooting for you
On to the RandyMo thing he just needs to hang up and go overseas or something. Shoot join Josh Smith and train with him. RandMo attitude looks as though he just doesn’t care at all about anything.
Mike is back
July 15th, 2010
8:53 pm
Thanks Najeh
MsDee
July 15th, 2010
8:54 pm
Thx u guys for telling me what SMH means and also the link..thx!!
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:58 pm
LOL…yeah, I’m tired of Luke Jackson too…
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
8:58 pm
That’s Luke’s job…sit on the wing, wait for the pass, hit the 3.
Sports Review
July 15th, 2010
9:00 pm
[...] Atlanta Hawks: Summer spotlight singes TeagueAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 5 news articles » [...]
cp
July 15th, 2010
9:00 pm
Real Talk you just admitted you didnt see the game. Your comments on the subject just became null and void. There are not valid. Sit down and stfu
Big Ray
July 15th, 2010
9:01 pm
Luke with the “Duck” finish…lol..
Najeh Davenpoop
July 15th, 2010
9:01 pm
These games are so sloppy that it’s hard to tell sometimes whether a guy is actually good. Some of the decisions the scrubs on these teams make are just awful.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 15th, 2010
9:01 pm
“Luke with the “Duck” finish”
That’s an insult to Duck. Luke Jackson’s vertical is probably worse than Dominique Wilkins… right now.