Atlanta Hawks: Teague’s time?
There was a time when there was no question mark on that headline.
By December it had a qualifier.
Eventually the question faded away as the DNPs and cameo appearances piled up for Teague. This happened even though Teague had shown enough promise and production to warrant more opportunities, at least in my view.
And now here we are again. Teague was impressive against the Blazers and now he’s the talk of (true) Hawks fandom, which of course includes my blog people.
One great game doesn’t mean Teague is The Man, especially since there will be tougher match ups. But you’d think this at least means no more DNP-CDs or quick hooks from L.D.. If L.D. wants the Hawks to run and play sound defense, which they must to have any kind of a chance to be better, then don’t Hinrich and Teague have to get all of the minutes at point guard?
No doubt some of L.D.’s concerns about Teague are (were?) legit. Teague doesn’t seem to have much “dog” in him. He doesn’t (didn’t?) always pressure the ball full court, attack the rim or push the pace the way L.D. wanted. Teague does (did?) tend to defer to his teammates too often.
In other words, Teague has had plenty of games where he didn’t do any of the things he did on Saturday. But the constant question has been: How can Teague gain confidence, and how can the Hawks know for sure what they have, if L.D. doesn’t let him play through some rough patches?
I’ve always felt L.D. sincerely wants Teague to succeed. He’s said the kind of things he did after Saturday’s game all along (I figured my blog people would pick up on some of the contradictions in those statements and you didn’t disappoint). But even as Drew praised Teague, he continued to jerk him in and out of the rotation for reasons that weren’t always clear and even as the Hawks struggled with in areas where Teague’s skills could help.
(I’ve seen theories among my blog people that perhaps L.D. hasn’t given Teague more of a shot because he concerns about job security made him stick with Bibby. That wouldn’t make sense considering Woody’s reluctance to give Teague more burn was a strike against him in management’s view.)
In any event, Teague says the sporadic playing time hasn’t weighed on him.
“I don’t think my confidence wavered,” Teague said. “It’s difficult when you go back and forth but you have got to be a professional and stay ready. Smoove and those guys told me, ‘Just play your game.’ I went out there and I played my game [Saturday].”
Said Josh: “He stayed with it. It’s easy for a guy to hang their head. He’s had every excuse and every reason to not play confident.”
J.J. has been a consistent supporter. Each time Teague has flashed the kind of ability he did Saturday, J.J. says the Hawks just need to trust in Teague.
“I was in a similar position as Jeff,” Joe said. “Back in my first and second year in the league, my minutes were sporadic. Whenever I got a chance to play I always produced and tried to do my best. When Phoenix traded away Penny and Steph, I just kind of blossomed.
“I look at Jeff as the same way. He’s got unbelievable talent, speed, explosive. He has all the tools. He’s confidence is the only thing left. Once he gets his confidence he is going to be a beast.”
Perhaps dominated the Blazers will be the thing that brings out Teague’s inner dog.
“Every time I get on the court I feel like I play with a little fire,” Teague said. “I’m a laid-back person; I have a laid-back personality. But when I go on that court I think everybody plays with emotion and a chip on their shoulder.”
Now we’ll see if L.D. is finally ready to give Teague regular minutes.
“I just have to keep being that little birdie on his shoulder and keep letting him know how good he can be for our team,” L.D. said. “I don’t want him hesitating; I want him being vocal. He was out there [Saturday], which was shocking. I saw him clapping and having both fists in the air and that was a welcome sight.
“I don’t want him to bow down to any of our other players on our team. Joe is a captain, Josh Smith is a captain and Al is a captain. But [Teague] is the head of that snake at the top of the floor and I want him to know that I have all the confidence in the world in him.”
Check back later for updates from practice today.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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121 comments Add your comment
tony
March 14th, 2011
1:53 pm
Ra’mon, are you serious? To me, JS spend more time outside the painted area than anyone. He did a better job(12 rebounds) against Portland with Horford out. I prefer to have JS control the paint where he is a much better rebounder, shot blocker and scorer. Al shoots a higher percentage around the perimeter than JS. I have no problem with him taking those shots. This team needs discipline, balance and stability. Those are the areas where LD failed to bring to this team in my opinion.
tyger
March 14th, 2011
2:02 pm
FVSU’s Ricardo Lockette ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds and he bench pressed 225 pounds 22 times today at his campus Pro Day workout, according to a league source.
hbcuclassics.com
Rev in Tampa
March 14th, 2011
2:07 pm
I have been one of the loudest voices calling for Teague to get more playing time but I am not expecting him to become the next Rondo or even a top tier point guard.
My calls for Teague have been so loud because the defense on the perimeter has been so bad. I don’t care if his offense is mediocre as long as his perimeter defense is also mediocre – since it would be such an improvement over Bibby and Jamal. For LD to talk about playing tough defense while he is responsible for their porous perimeter is just maddening. Its just plain maddening!
This one aspect of LD’s gameplan has caused me to tune him out completely. I remember how I swooned over his ever pronoucement in the preseason, but now when he speaks all I hear is Charlie Brown’s teacher. I believe his approach to perimeter defense this season should get him fired. It cost the Hawks several embarrassing losses, it cost the Hawks the fourth seed in the playoffs, and it cost the Hawks Jordon Crawford unnecessarily.
Rev in Tampa
March 14th, 2011
2:09 pm
ever = every
drmaryb (*_-)
March 14th, 2011
2:14 pm
“if jt0 doesnt have more of the jason terry in him. now why did we let him go and why were people so down on him? go figure.”
______________________
I’ll take a stab here, Jet Terry was unhappy here and feuded with Terry Stotts. Back then, we were only winning 13 games and this team needed to rebuild.
Jet Terry is not the type of player to rebuild around. While, he was a pure shooter? He did nothing else. In Dallas, he has always been a 6th man, (scorer off the bench). Terry doesn’t play a lick of defense and he turned the ball over like butter fingers. We lost a ton of games in the last minutes due to all his turns. Also, we traded him for a #10 Lottery Pick, which turned out to be a lesser version of him and not the PG we needed: Acie Law.
Another reason, I’m a little OK with trading Jordan Crawford is that he needs development at a time where we are built or trying to build a team that can win it all right now. We never needed Jordan, with Joe and Jamal here to win it now. We don’t need any more rookies!
We need some seasoned, hungry vets. Kurt Thomas or Shaq would have been better moves. As of now, we need some old hunting dogs! No more puppies. We can’t rebuild forever! See The Clippers.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 14th, 2011
2:15 pm
I don’t think Teague is any faster than, say, Rose or Westbrook or Rondo. We are just so used to seeing tortoise-like point guards that Teague looks like a blur by comparison. He is, however, just as athletic as any of those players, which is what helps him so much defensively as he’s able to recover quickly even if he momentarily gets beat or gets screened.
I think it’s funny, though, how wrong most of the scouting reports about him were (and for that matter how wrong I was about him). The general pre-draft consensus about him was that he would come into the league and be a very good scorer with a sweet shooting stroke who may never learn how to play the point guard position and probably would be an inconsistent defender at best. A year and a half into his career, I think it’s fair to say his shooting and scoring ability lags behind pretty much every other aspect of his game, including his ability to pass and set up teammates with shots.
MelFromSW_ATL
March 14th, 2011
2:22 pm
I don’t think the the Hawks beat guy should be referring to the coach as “LD”. Unprofessional! Stay classy MC and refer to the man by his whole name.
ole hawk's fan
March 14th, 2011
2:28 pm
LD, NOW HEAR THIS……………………………DO NOT PLAY JC at the POINT. I Repeat…………..Under NO CIRCUMSTANCE do you put JC @ The Point. He should ONLY Play the SG!!!!!!!! Most On HERE for the last two years have been calling for Teague to get some PT. Sit MW down and let him come off the bench. Tell JJ to stop the Woody ISO and pass the ball. Ball Movement will get you better LOOKS on Offense!
PaulWarfield
March 14th, 2011
2:49 pm
I read in some of the blogs that Larry Drew is gambling by playing Teague. If Teague doesnt help us win in the playoffs it might cost Drew his job. If Teague had been playing all year, Teague might have developed into an all-star and the Hinrich trade probably would not have been made. I always thought we needed more scoring punch than getting a point guard since we already had teague backing up Mike Bibby. I think the Hawks are just one relaible jump shooter (2 and 3-point shooter) away from contending for a championship. I think if the Hawks were to trade Kirk Hinrich and Marvin Williams for Rashad Lewis, the Hawks would be poised to win the NBA title this season. Rashad is a scoring machine from the 3-point line, which is exactly what the Hawks need when their offense stagnates.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 14th, 2011
2:56 pm
“My calls for Teague have been so loud because the defense on the perimeter has been so bad. I don’t care if his offense is mediocre as long as his perimeter defense is also mediocre – since it would be such an improvement over Bibby and Jamal. ”
Haha word. Exactly my thoughts. DNPing Teague would be so much more justifiable if the Hawks didn’t have a washed up corpse starting ahead of him all season. Teague doesn’t have to “ball” or play consistently to be an improvement over what the Hawks had at the point guard position until the trade deadline. Even an inconsistent version of him would have been fine. And the fact of the matter is that no matter what people want to say about him, whenever he has played over 20 minutes in his career he has been consistently solid. It’s only when he comes in for 5-10 minute stretches with scrubs who can’t finish his passes that he looks bad.
O'Brien
March 14th, 2011
3:00 pm
I am not sold (yet) on Teague as being a starting PG on a potential 50 win team.
However, I think he deserves more PT than he has been given. There is only 48 minutes available at the PG position, and I am fine with Teague getting a consistent 18-24 mpg (with the starters). Hinrich can get the rest of the PG minutes and can also get extra minutes at SG depending on matchups and game flow etc.
If Teague is playing well, then LD can give him more minutes (like he did against Portland, where Teague played almost 44).
terrell
March 14th, 2011
3:17 pm
“At least in my view”. I say at least in EVERYBODY’S view.
Ra'mon
March 14th, 2011
3:18 pm
Tony, you are ok with our starting center being on the perimeter more than Josh? Josh goes to the lane and on the block way more than Al does in any game. And the main time Josh is on the perimeter is when Joe is on the block posting up. But you never really see Al post up more than 2-4 times a game. And as far as rebounding is concerned, Al only averages less than a rebound more than Josh a game, even though Al gets more rebound opportunities on the offensive end than Josh does.
LD makes the comment that he doesn’t want Al to start shooting a 3, because he has that problem with Josh. So what does Al do the VERY next game? Goes one on one, and instead of driving, launches a 3 pointer. Look at the stats and see how many times Al has had more than 7 free throws in a game. Then turn and look at how Josh leads the team in free throws on a nightly basis (majority of the games).
terrell
March 14th, 2011
3:18 pm
JAMAL IS NOT A PG!
MelFromSW_ATL
March 14th, 2011
3:19 pm
[EDIT]
I don’t think the the Hawks beat guy should NOT be referring to the coach as “LD”. Unprofessional! Stay classy MC and refer to the man by his whole name.
terrell
March 14th, 2011
3:20 pm
Teague/Joe/Damien/Josh/Al
Hinrich/Jamal/Marvin/Zaza/Collins
Bench helluva lot deeper
Do it LD!
Do it LD.
Ra'mon
March 14th, 2011
3:21 pm
Najeh, I think Teague is faster than each of the point guards you mentioned. The problem is, each of their handles are better, and that makes them quicker in basketball settings. End to end, Teague was said to be the fastest point guard in his draft. I just think he’s not as polished with the dribbling as other point guards are, and that hurts him.
Ra'mon
March 14th, 2011
3:24 pm
MelfromSW, this is a blog, not a news article.
K-Dogg
March 14th, 2011
3:26 pm
Teague at the end of the day may be good enough to where we can stop taking point guards in the 1st round for the next two years but all im saying is im sure we will end up playing him 15 min a game on average for the rest of the year which will not help in us elvalutating him at the end of the year. Right now their aint a person on this blog who can say what the think he will end up being b/c we dont see enough to know which to me like i said is dumb b/c since we have drafted him we have had min available for him but have not given them to him b/c our coaches, coach in fear and dont trust these guys with their jobs.. You have to play him major mintues for the rest of this year or at the end of the year we will be crying once again about trying to decide on a true big our point this offseason when the truth is we still need both but could have a servicable one on our team right now!!!!
terrell
March 14th, 2011
3:26 pm
Only an idiot would play Teague with Jamal.
mykhalc
March 14th, 2011
3:30 pm
WHATEVER and WHOMEVER gets Marvin OFF the court…PERIOD!!!
got missed feelings on Teague startin’ tho…
1) Kirk/Joe/Josh/AL/Hilton (why HA…causes he’s an active big that deserves a look)
2) JT/Kirk/Joe/Josh/Al…ok since Marvin’s on the bench
3) JT/Joe/Josh/AL/Hilton…worth a look and Marvin is still on the bench
4) Kirk/Joe/Damien/Josh/AL/…yep…works too!!
5) JT/Joe/Damien/Josh/AL/
and of course Collins can replace Hilton in these scenarios too. my wish, more than Teague startin’, is Marvin NOT startin’…PERIOD!!!
mykhalc
March 14th, 2011
3:36 pm
mixed feelings…
drmaryb (*_-)
March 14th, 2011
3:38 pm
MelFromSW_ATL
_______________
There is a Radio ICON named “MelFromSW_ATL”.
He has been a platinum caller on the “Buck & Kincaid” Show for over 20 years. They mostly talk Braves Baseball and very little Hawks.
I doubt very seriously if this guy here is the original “Mel” and is more than likely an impostor. He knows it, now so does everyone else!
_________________
Get a handle on yourself, Sir.
drmaryb (*_-)
March 14th, 2011
3:45 pm
Hands On!
Rondo has gorilla sized hands. Teague has small hands. That’s the difference in ball handling. IDK what type hands J-Smoove has, he just needs to hand the ball to the PG.
terrell
March 14th, 2011
3:52 pm
Rashard Lewis? No thanks. Got enough bad contracts.
Grandad
March 14th, 2011
3:52 pm
MelFromSW_ATL
This is a blog.
Note, I’m probably MC’s biggest critic.
But the ” LD ” thing on a blog;
take my advice:
” pull down your pants and slide on the ice ” !
By the way you callled MC…..MC.
Is that not the same?
Edit:
I don’t think you should not be calling MC…MC,
should you not, not call MC, MC as he called LD…LD,
or should he not have not called LD …LD, or not?
drmaryb (*_-)
March 14th, 2011
3:54 pm
Excitement Abounds!
Boy, did this city need something exciting to happen!
I just left LFETIME FITNESS and while in the locker room, I heard and older white woman say, “My husband bought tickets to the Hawks game Saturday night and it was so exciting and awesome. I had never been to a Hawks game and my husband surprised me with these tickets.
They are really good.”
_________________________________
I just smiled and walked on by. I have never heard anyone mention my Hawks at my gym. Much less a 60 something year old white lady.
This team, if properly managed has that type of ability, to ignite this entire city and fill up that bandwagon.
We are just 2 to 3 players away from doing the damn thing!
Come on Sund and ASKG! Let’s Go!
Just Do It! Play Teague, start Damien and add some girth in the post!
Grandad
March 14th, 2011
3:55 pm
Has anyone considered that Hinrich
may be having a positive effect on Teaguer ?
terrell
March 14th, 2011
3:57 pm
Hey Mel, are you the Mel from 680 the fan? lol. Drinking already are you? LD. Larry Drew. Woody Jr. Who cares?
Worldwide Clyde
March 14th, 2011
4:05 pm
With that Hinrich trade we gave away Jordan Crawford, a first round pick and increased our payroll by 2 mill. All this could have been avoided if Woody Jr would have swallowed his pride.
Grandad
March 14th, 2011
4:06 pm
Joe will [help/improve] this team more as a small forward
than a two guard due to keeping Marvin off the floor.
Three guard rotation of Teaguer, Hinrich, & Jamal.
D.Wilkins backs up Joe.
Bigs rotation of primarily:
Josh, Al, Zaza;
with Collins & Armstrong pitching in as needed.
10 man rotation;
*(no Marv…no Powell)
Worldwide Clyde
March 14th, 2011
4:07 pm
This summer will be real interesting. With no money and no draft picks how will the Hawks fill out their roster.
Rachel
March 14th, 2011
4:11 pm
You know, this is really a messed up situation. You draft Teague in the 1st round, then you don’t play him at all hardly. He is the only one on the team that can be explosive at the point position. Here is some advice to LD. Start coaching, i know JJ makes the money, but he is not getting more than 12 pts a game (jump shooting team). He and Marvin needs to come off the bench. Truly, you should figure out a way to trade Marvin and bring in somebody else. Go and get Pape Sy from the D-League and add him to your rotation. Develop your young guys. Another thing, look at how other coaches play their young guys, and figure out a way for these hawks.
R-Chal
March 14th, 2011
4:17 pm
Develop Teague and call Pape Sy up from the D-League and develop that talent. LD should look at how other coaches play their young talent. Take notes. Also, when the hawks get down and cannot score, sad to say that somebody should tell them to stop shooting from the outside and take the ball to the basket. That is how other teams do it when they are going through a slump. These guys make toooo much money and should know that. After a few misses, start taking the ball inside and get the basket then the free throw. It is that simple.
Scoop
March 14th, 2011
4:18 pm
Teague is a starter.
Look at his games and you will see his best production came as a starter then from off the bench. Teague is a defensive-minded, up-tempo, point guard and he needs to be with the best players to be effective. He is not a one man offense like Jamal(not an insult) so he plays best with starters.
Al is not a center.
It is not coincidence Al is getting banged up this year and that is a result of playing too many minutes at center undersized. We lose nothing starting Zaza at center because he runs the floor better then any true center I can think of. Plus Za is our best rebounder.
Marvin has no dog in him.
Everyone questions Teague’s confidence, why not Marvins? I have been a big supporter of his and had high hopes this year for him, but no improvment. Sadly, he may have regressed. He does not deserve a starter’s spot-he has too much talent to be limited to a mid range jump shooter and even that he cant do well…..Honestly, coming off the bench would be the best for Marvin. He wouldnt have to compete for shots from the starters and he can improve his offensive game vs sub-par competition.
The starting lineup should be: Teague, J J, Smoove, Al, Zaza
No Crying
March 14th, 2011
4:19 pm
The only way LD keeps his job is to start Teague and giving him major minutes the rest of the season. It isn’t happening without him! We need him to drive the tempo. His speed will keep the pressure on and create more transition opportunities. As Teague goes so go the Hawks. The team was spiraling down the drain and something had to be done. Hopefully we can salvage some pride from the rest of this season.
O'Brien
March 14th, 2011
4:35 pm
Najeh,
I’m sure you were pleased when you read the following twitter update;
•#Hawks: F Josh Powell declined comment on arrest in traffic incident. Apologized to team for distraction. Status with team unaffected. .
I know how hurt you would have been if the Hawks lost their only player with championship experience
Rufus1
March 14th, 2011
4:46 pm
Teague is a PG on a 50win Team…
Once he perfects that “floater”, he might be our future star. Teague combines a scores mentality with Super quickness, he will be an 18 to 20pts scorer with time….and when Josh Smith figures out he isn’t a scorer or a PG.
Teague will also be top 5 in the league in steals…
SWAT Native
March 14th, 2011
4:47 pm
I wanted to make this comment about Teague. I was impressed with his performance, but I was even more impressed by his comments after the game. It seemed like every compliment he got he tried to deflect it into a team thing. For example, I think he was asked about the energy he brought to the game, and he said, WE wanted to come out and show more energy from the start. He even said about one of his steals that all came from his effort, “I got lucky”. Refreshing.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 14th, 2011
4:53 pm
“I know how hurt you would have been if the Hawks lost their only player with championship experience”
Oh yeah. I was sweating bullets hoping he’d stay. What would the Hawks ever do without his locker room leadership?
joey
March 14th, 2011
4:58 pm
124
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 14th, 2011
5:04 pm
“I look at Jeff as the same way. He’s got unbelievable talent, speed, explosive. He has all the tools. He’s confidence is the only thing left. Once he gets his confidence he is going to be a beast.”
Agreed w/ Joe
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 14th, 2011
5:04 pm
“I look at Jeff as the same way. He’s got unbelievable talent, speed, explosive. He has all the tools. He’s confidence is the only thing left. Once he gets his confidence he is going to be a beast.”
Agreed w/ Joe
DelorisWatkins
March 14th, 2011
5:31 pm
Teague will become EVERY BIT AS GOOD AS TONY PARKER OF THE SPURS, once Teague learns that patented “teardrop” shot of Parker’s. This is a copycat league so I’m sure Teague will watch a ton of films on Parkers famous shot and it is looking very favorable for the Hawks all of a sudden. It seems as though Teague as kept a low profile and didnt really show us a ton of skills. Then against Portland the other day, all of a sudden, ‘BAM’ and this guy is playing like an all-star, just like that. Teague is the missing ingredient that the Hawks need to generate offense and to energize the Hawks offense. Whats more, when Teague is pushing the ball down the court, thats one less turnover for Josh Smith since Smith loves to dribble the ball as a guard, although he seems to forget everyy night that he is not a guard. Keep the ball out of Josh Smiths hands on out-of-bounds plays and it will at least 30 fewer turnovers for the Hawks every night. I’m pleased with what I saw of Teague against Portland. I hope Teague builds on that and Teague should be starting every game for now on. Go Hawks, go out and win the NBA crown.
MannyT
March 14th, 2011
6:03 pm
I’m with @terrell…don’t play Teague with Jamal. Crawford take the “dog” out of Teague quicker than any opponent. Watch Teague the next time he & Jamal come into the game about the same time (or Jamal is in 1st.) Teague let’s Jamal take the ball up court & initiate the (ISO) offense. Teague stands on the far wing & watches. Because he isn’t a real 3 pt threat, he’s just getting a reality show view of NBA basketball.
Nobody Cares
March 14th, 2011
6:29 pm
Everybody’s gone on to root for other teams. Sorry.
Nobody Cares
March 14th, 2011
6:33 pm
Teague is a Scrubb and will always be a 3 tier, 7th guard taken type player. When his youth is gone teague is done. He has one of the lowest BasketBall IQ’s in the game. No one other than rick sund and Michael Cunningham has a lower IQ. Trade Teague Sund and Cunningham for a center!
Ken Strickland
March 14th, 2011
6:39 pm
I MUS WRITE-In certain ways, and certain areas, Drew is a better coach than Woody. He’s more willing to consider and make changes and adjustments, utilize his bench, create and take advantage of favorable matchup, and GIVE DAMN ABOUT THE OFF. However, in far too many critical ways, he’s shown himself to be little more than a carbon copy of Woodson.
The speed, quickness and athleticism of the starting lineup we used against Portland gives us a solid DEF frontline and backcourt that can defend against anyone. It also gives us an additional ball handler, OFF weapon, as well as more speed, quickness, and much needed penetrating ability.
It’s way past time Drew stopped following in Woodson’s foolish footsteps when it comes to making stupid excuses for not committing to developing and dealing properly with JTeague, and taking advantage of a PG with his skills. We might not have the star quality of Eastern Conference teams like Miami and Orlando, but we can become a better TEAM.
Nobody Cares
March 14th, 2011
6:59 pm
Drew is Woody lite and it is clear why he was Woody’s assistant rather than a head coach. The moves the hawks have made would be only made by an Idiot.
Hawks Suck.
Nobody Cares
March 14th, 2011
7:03 pm
Woodson was the best coach the hawks have had since Lenny Wilkens and Woodson may be as good as him. He took nothing and got us in range and now we are sliding backwards.
Whos idiotic idea was it to let Woodson go any way?