Atlanta Hawks: What got into Jeff Teague?
Since back in December I believed Teague deserved to play more because of his improved production, the team’s need for his skills, Bibby’s decline and future considerations.
But I’m not going to front and act like I saw this coming.
Teague had some good moments during the season but he’s having his best moments on the biggest stage under challenging circumstances. He’s making the MVP work to get his, which might be expected given his quickness and defensive potential.
But Teague also has been Atlanta’s most consistent offensive player, sometimes showing more poise and better sitational decision-making that his veteran teammates. I mean, he’s got five turnovers in 206 minutes, for crying out loud.
“You saw he has that it in him, you just wondered when that was going to stick around longer,” L.D. said. “What he’s shown in playoffs is that he has arrived. He’s not doing it just against anybody; he’s doing it against maybe the top point guard in this league. I really take my hat off to the fact that he’s doing it like I haven’t seen it done under those circumstances.”
What the heck got into Teague?
To J.J., who said all season that the Hawks just needed to trust in Teague, the difference is simple.
“Just minutes,” he said. “Getting the opportunity.”
To Teague, the difference has not just been playing more; it’s knowing the Hawks need him to play more.
“I would say that’s the difference,” he said. “During the season I didn’t know if I was going to play one game and if I was going to sit the next. Now, knowing that I’m going to get an opportunity to go in every game, I just try to focus and give a good effort.”
That actually makes sense when you look back at the games during the season where Teague knew he was going to play. In those games he was never really bad. Sometimes he was good, other times just OK, but there were few outright dogs among those games.
There was that game at Boston when Joe and Jamal were out, a performance marred only by four turnovers. He was pretty good the next night against Charlotte, too.
The pattern continues: Jamal missed a game at Cleveland and Teague was good in 18 minutes. The Hawks traded Bibby, Teague started four games in a row and was solid in each one–if not always efficient offensively, at least holding his own against some good point guards.
There was, of course, that game against Portland, when L.D. benched Marvin, Teague got the start and changed the game with his burst of steals and scores. Teague started the next two games against Milwaukee and Denver and was pretty good–again, holding his own if not very efficient. Same goes for the final four games of the season, when the starters shut it down and Teague played big minutes.
Mind you, Teague was never as good as he’s been during this series. But clearly he was better when circumstances meant he knew he was going to play. Perhaps that’s not the right mindset for a player with something to prove but apparently that’s the way it is for Teague.
“I think that’s for everybody,” Teague said. “When something is put against you and you know you have to do it, you focus a lot more.”
Thing is, in L.D.’s, view, that was part of the problem.
(Aside: Some of my blog people have been wondering why L.D. hasn’t been “grilled” more about why he didn’t play Teague more during the season. He’s been asked plenty; it’s just that you haven’t liked the answers. Or maybe I’m just taking the wrong approach to this thing. Who wants to roll with me when I put Drew under a bright lamp and we can do good-cop, bad-cop until he breaks down and confesses he just doesn’t like Teague?)
Each time L.D. has been asked why he didn’t play Teague more, he’s said it’s because he didn’t think he was consistent enough. I asked L.D. once again if he had any regrets about not playing Teague more often, especially since Bibby was struggling:
“No. When I took the job I brought him in here and told him I expect him to really come in here and make life tough for Mike Bibby. That’s just being competitive and fighting for a position; that’s not taking nothing away from Mike Bibby, that’s just trying to get a guy you are hoping will be your next point guard and you are hoping will groom himself to do it. That didn’t happen, and the last thing I wanted to do was just to hand it over to him. I wanted him to come in and really show that he has some fire in his belly and not just push Mike—I wanted him to take it. And knowing Mike being the veteran he is, he is going to have his ways to make sure he doesn’t let it go. It was all on Jeff. I could have very easily not said a word to Jeff and see how he responded to it. I wanted him to know to know that I believed in him, I wanted him to know that I expected him to really, really push Mike. I didn’t get the response I was looking for and, again, I wasn’t going to hand it over to him.”
As it turned out, L.D. had no choice but to give Teague the controls in this series. And with the way Teague has responded, there can be no more questions about whether Teague deserves to play point guard for this team.
“He’s been great,” J.J. said. “As long as he continues to work and get better over the summer, sky’s the limit. This will definitely be his team to run.”
Less than three months ago the Hawks made a trade because they weren’t sure about Jeff Teague. It was only two weeks ago that Teague played a bit part against Orlando, though Drew says Teague would have played more against Chicago even if Hinrich hadn’t gone down.
Now Teague has been so good that L.D. said he wasn’t sure what he would do if the Hawks advance and Hinrich is healthy enough to play.
“It gives me options,” he said. “If it’s perceived as now I’ve got a problem [because] I’ve got a young point guard played his tail off and now I’ve got Kirk coming back if we go to the next round, then I would like to have that problem. That’s a very nice problem to have.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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275 comments Add your comment
SteveW
May 12th, 2011
4:54 pm
Sautee – Co-sign you last post on Al
SteveW
May 12th, 2011
4:55 pm
“You” should be “your” on my last post
truthspitter
May 12th, 2011
4:57 pm
Teague’s horrible jump shot has been overblown. Teague is the biggest team player the Hawks have right now. He can make open shots he just passes them up and tries to get to the rack for easier shots or to create for others even if he misses our supposed super athletic frontline should be getting rebounds.
It really does not matter though, at the end of the night I will be putting up trade ideas and we will be going fishing. I still take the stance why even go back to Chicago just to get cheated again? We can get cheated here at home.
The Game Has Changed
May 12th, 2011
5:01 pm
Lets not concentrate so much on Teague. We are falling right into the Bulls trap. Dont yall realize they want Teague to score instead of Jamal and Joe. Thats why Teague and Josh are so open. If Teague scores 20 or 30 that will not hurt the Bulls. They just dont want Joe going for 35 and Jamal going for 25. So Teague has to come and get the ball when they trap Joe or Jamal and find the open man.
Sautee
May 12th, 2011
5:02 pm
SteveW,
Regarding Teague, I didn’t say “set shot”. And yes, his overall % is okay, though he has yet to be the focus of a defense (until now) so he shot less contested set shots than he will in the future.
KevinM and I were discussing why he wasn’t playing more, and that LD liked jump shooting PGs. That’s the context of my post. I don’t consider his set shot to be a jumper. He’s gonna need a stop and pop in the midrange area to be complete.
SteveW
May 12th, 2011
5:06 pm
Sautee – ‘Regarding Teague, I didn’t say “set shot”. And yes, his overall % is okay, though he has yet to be the focus of a defense (until now) so he shot less contested set shots than he will in the future. ”
Guess you didn’t see the Wake stats. I know it’s not the NBA, but he was the focus of D’s.
The guy has a great shot off the dribble. He was just playing in fear. “One and done” was kind of LD’s policy with him on many occasions. You can’t play BB like that.
And he sure didn’t treat JJ, Jamal, Josh, Bibby, Mo like that. Just Teague, JC2, and to a lesser extent ZaZa, who thankfully didn’t get traded away due to LD’s incompetence.
SteveW
May 12th, 2011
5:18 pm
Teague’s D, his speed, his ability to get in the lane, his ability to dictate tempo, and his ball protection/lack of turnovers is enough for him to play.
His O will come. But coming out of Wake, he was known for his O and had to work on his D.
And I don’t want to hear LD talk about Teague’s passivity. LD said he came in training camp like a man on a mission.
DinasaurFenton
May 12th, 2011
5:18 pm
I know that most fans dont want to tune in tonight and see the Hawks blown out by 40 points. The players should ask themselves a question before the opening tipoff. Why am I here? Do I want to advance to the ECF or do I want to go home for the summer? Do I want to get a gold championship ring or do I want to get a ring out of the Cracker Jacks box? Do we want to play like professionals and win or do we want to play like ameteurs, turn the ball over repeatedly by making ourselves look like fools and lose? THE HAWKS MUST CANDIDLY ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS OR THEY NOT BE PLAYING BASKETBALL AFTER TONIGHTS GAME. Now GO OUT THERE MEN AND PERFORM UP TO YOUR ABILITY. Dont embarrass our fair city and DONT PLAY LIKE SCHLEPS.
truthspitter
May 12th, 2011
5:21 pm
Kirk and Marvin for Steve Blake and Lamar Odom.
It’s over guys let’s start thinking of our future.
Fire LD
Let Sund Walk
ASG Sale
Slimjr
May 12th, 2011
5:22 pm
Grandad, if your curious search on the term “35% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide to improve health”. Don’t bother discussing with your RX because it will be like a deer in headlight response…..
Here’s a link for you to check out below Sir:
http://www.educate-yourself.org/cancer/benefitsofhydrogenperozide17jul03.shtml
There’s a reason why Americans spend over 1 Trillion usd on medications that dont cure a darn thing?
15,000 doctors use this protocol in Europe alone. Less than 500 in the States…..
To GOOD HEALTH!!
terrell
May 12th, 2011
5:27 pm
Truthspitter, I hope Marvin is involved in one of your trade scenarios. Cant wait to see them. I’ll have a few of them myself. We’d be set if we could give Kirk back for Jordan and that 1st. lol. Jordan could take over for Jamal, Teague for Bibby, draft pick for Marvin, etc…….. Oh well. Too late now. At least we gained an expiring contract.
terrell
May 12th, 2011
5:30 pm
And I’m not bashing Hinrich, cause he did his thing in the Magic series. Just sayin.
terrell
May 12th, 2011
5:34 pm
Lakers wont do that Truth. No way. They do need a pg though. Dont think it’s Hinrich they’re after however. I’ll do it in a heartbeat if they’re drunk enough to do it.
ag
May 12th, 2011
5:35 pm
Thank you for the many articles this season MB and you have all season did as we asked, to ask coach about JT. I will disagree with him not doing well in practice because if JT made Andre Miller look bad, I am sure JT made MB look bad in practice. Yet, ALL the Hawks have been in support of JT and they saw JT play well in practice, but saw how LD treated him. At that point, he lost his players respect. Again, if you run a play for a player to post up and he drifts to the three point line, and there is no level of discipline for that action, you lose your locker room.
ag
May 12th, 2011
5:36 pm
The one problem I had with Teague game 5 is he did not take it over in the 4th. Yet, the offense is designed for JJ and Jamal and as the POINT guard, he does what is told.
Buddy Grizzard
May 12th, 2011
5:37 pm
Grandad welcome back… we need some coach talk!
Little Fawkers
May 12th, 2011
2:40 pm
Dear Joe Johnson,
EARN YOUR MONEY TONIGHT!!!!!
terrell
May 12th, 2011
2:40 pm
Ok Joe Johnson. This is why they pay you the big $. Need your best effort tonight. Anything less is unacceptable. It’s WIN OR GO HOME. Prove your worth.
Thanks Fawkers and Terrell for bringing the conversation back to the present tense. LD’s mishandling of Teague’s development is ancient history. Teague has made his mark and will never be doubted again. What’s very much in doubt is whether Joe Johnson will show up for tonight’s game or not:
http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/atl/atlanta-hawks
NBA – JOHNSON BUCKLES UNDER PRESSURE
If Joe Johnson is unable to find his stroke tonight, the Hawks will likely lose. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Johnson doesn’t always perform when his back is against the wall. Johnson has the 2nd worst field goal percentage in Win-or-go-home playoff games among active players.
about 1 hour ago | ESPN Stats and Information
terrell
May 12th, 2011
5:38 pm
Come to think of it, would Odom be a fit for us? We need a true center and a true sf.
The Game Has Changed
May 12th, 2011
5:38 pm
@Truthspitter-Why are you still talking about firing Drew and making all these fantasy trades? I think we should wait and see how the rest of this series go. We are playing the #1 seed dont forget that. This is Drew first year. Looking forward to next year is premature. We are not out of this thang yet. There were 30 teams that started the season together, only 6 remain. And yall talking about firing the man. Get real. Go Hawks
terrell
May 12th, 2011
5:40 pm
Truth, gonna have to move Josh or Al, if we want something worthwhile in return.
The Game Has Changed
May 12th, 2011
5:41 pm
We need a center. Not a coach, point guard, or shooting guard
Slimjr
May 12th, 2011
5:43 pm
Al or Josh got to go…..
Trade Marvin for 6 pack…………………….LOL
Slimjr
May 12th, 2011
5:48 pm
AL+ Alice =Loss Tonight
Allstar Al= Win Tonight!
I MUS WRITE
May 12th, 2011
5:49 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
May 12th, 2011
12:31 am
“I guess Marvin can suck all he wants and can still get guaranteed playing time without having to worry about “taking” his job from anyone.
A good leader doesn’t have double standards”
I couldnt agree more, a yung player doesnt get better by watching from the bench.When i look at Maynor/Collison/vasquez I was often baffled as to why teague couldnt get atleast 10-12 minutes a game. Marvin basiclly gave us nothing all season but was a fixture in the starting rotation.
I have to give the yung man props for being ready and going hard at the MVP when his number was called. When he developes that jumper,to go with that speed and athleticism this yungn will be a problem.
Rusty
May 12th, 2011
5:52 pm
Every body should realize by now for what ever reason ld screwed jt,jc2 & the hawks & this man is not very truthful or bright.
Slimjr
May 12th, 2011
5:54 pm
FPP.
“JC1’s line tonight? 27 minutes, 2 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound, 2 turnovers. What has been the difference in this series? When the Hawks have been outrebounded, they have lost. When the rebounds have been even, they have won. In this game the Hawks were only outrebounded 37-33, but why would you go with a 3-guard offense for much of the game with JC1 not producing? Because Big Daddy Las Vegas Larry needs to make that loot ya’ll.
@ Buddy,
Interesting observation Sir!
Buddy Grizzard
May 12th, 2011
5:59 pm
Slimjr Zaza could have helped us in the 4th against CHI’s bench mob of long, athletic hustle players. What did JC1 do for us in the 4th? Not a single basket.
I MUS WRITE
May 12th, 2011
5:59 pm
Nir- teague gave good effort during the season when he did get playing time. The guy didnt really play at all last season so this is basiclly his rookie season. its hard to gain confidence when you’re constantly looking over your shoulder-or getting the hook because of a couple bad plays. If anything he should have cut into bibby’s minutes and jamla should have been the back up Sg exclusively.
A good coach would let the guy work through his problems and encourage him not super glue him to the bench.
Its no mystery why JC2 all of a sudden blossomed when he went to DC. MINUTES and opprotunity………….
Buddy Grizzard
May 12th, 2011
6:01 pm
And Slimjr just to be sure you saw it from my post above:
NBA – JOHNSON BUCKLES UNDER PRESSURE
If Joe Johnson is unable to find his stroke tonight, the Hawks will likely lose. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Johnson doesn’t always perform when his back is against the wall. Johnson has the 2nd worst field goal percentage in Win-or-go-home playoff games among active players.
about 1 hour ago | ESPN Stats and Information
If Joe Johnson chokes tonight, it’s not because of the Godfather, the refs, Las Vegas Larry… it’s because THATS WHAT JOE JOHNSON DOES. That’s why you don’t give $120m to a non-money player.
Rusty
May 12th, 2011
6:02 pm
LD just makes bad moves after bad moves.
Dontrell
May 12th, 2011
6:03 pm
“Yeah, if [Al] were a full time PF, he’d likely be in the “others receiving votes” category…”
It’s tough to say at this point, since Al has never been able to play PF full time in the NBA. Throughout his young career, he’s played the majority of his minutes at Center. You may be thinking “So what? He’s played at power forward from time to time also and hasn’t been incredibly impressive”. However, one thing that you have to keep in mind is the mindset that Al plays with, knowing that he is usually going to be playing center. He has to adjust his game to that. That’s one of the reasons why Drew has urged him to develop and rely on the jumper more than his inside game, because he wants him to create advantages to make up for size and other areas where he may be at a disadvantage at times, at the center position. At the PF position, Horford would almost never be at a physical disadvantage in this league, and having the reassurance to know that he would be playing that position the majority of the time might change how aggressive he is and how he plays. I’m not saying that the fact that he is playing “out of position” in his mind is greatly hampering his game, but what I am saying is that we will never really know how good he could be as a full-time power forward until he actually plays that position nearly full-time. The difference may be dramatic, or it may be almost no difference at all. No human on this planet knows what goes on in Al’s mind but Al himself, and a big part of the game is mental.
I say this speaking from personal experience. I never played NBA basketball, but I played in college, overseas, and in some brands that people probably haven’t even heard of. I know I was never at the level that most of these NBA players are at, but I can relate to some of the mental hurdles. For a large portion of my career, I played in what I thought was “out of position”, and while I was relatively effective at the position I was asked to play, and I don’t feel like I ever really flourished until I was given the freedom to play the position that I felt most comfortable at. A lot of success in organized basketball really revolves around the way you approach the game from a mental standpoint, sometimes even moreso than from a physical standpoint. This point is emphasized even further in NBA basketball, since everyone at that level is physically gifted to some extent.
I’m not trying to pretend that I am an expert on this, by the way. I’m just throwing this out there as something to think about.
drmaryb (*_-)
May 12th, 2011
6:03 pm
Unevenly Yoked!
_________________
ere’s my Q-and-A with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Thursday:
Q: Where do we stand with the Thrashers?
A: “That’s more a question for [part-owner] Bruce [Levenson} than it is for me. He’s the one working on trying to find new ownership for the franchise. We’ve been working with him closely for a number of years in efforts to sell the franchise. Those efforts are ongoing. But there is nothing that has made sense to this point.”
Q: Can you guarantee the team will be in Atlanta next season?
A: “Nope. I can’t guarantee that.”
Q: So what are the chances of the Thrashers being relocated?
A: “I’m not into handicapping. I’m usually wrong.”
Q: Can you address rumors that a franchise sale and a move to Winnipeg is pretty much done and that an announcement is imminent?
A: “There is nothing that has been done, nothing has been planned and nothing has been scheduled. Certainly, no transaction has been agreed to, not that I’m aware of.”
Q: Have the Thrashers had negotiations with True North?
A: “I wouldn’t comment on that. That’s something you would have to ask the Thrashers about.”
Q: That’s not exactly a denial.
__________________
This is a problem. If the NHL will not come to the rescue of the Thrashers, like they did to keep hockey in Arizona. Arizona went bankrupt and they purchased that team and kept it there.
Apparently, they have no love for the thrashers, because they don’t like these owners. And, if the hockey team is sold and relocated to Winnipeg, the NHL will receive a 60M relocation fee.
Here’s my point: what happens to the thrashers also happens to the Hawks. ASKG can’t agree to decide how to get rid of the thrashers.
Sad. I’m scouring the wires for any info re: the sale of these teams to a more qualified buyer. Nothing is happening, people.
Rusty
May 12th, 2011
6:05 pm
Ld was a guy whom I thought well of when he was hired as everything he said seemed to make good sense but he never seemed to do what he said he would do & as the season rolled on he made no sense.
Brandon
May 12th, 2011
6:11 pm
In regards to Al, Sautee mentioned that “He’s rarely ‘electric’”.
I’m not disagreeing here, but I just wanted to point out that when we are talking about being recognized as one of the best players, it’s not really about being electric. Being exciting and “electric” receives fan attention and media attention no doubt, and a lot of the stars throughout the years have fit this description, but when it comes to being a great or dominant player, you don’t have to be flashy or exciting, you just have to prove that you are one of the best through how you produce and the impact that you have on the court. My favorite example of this is Tim Duncan. He’s always been criticized by some for being “boring” or not being emotional or passionate enough while he was on the court. Duncan has never been flashy, but when it all comes down to winning and losing games, Duncan was probably one of the best, if not the best, power forward of all time, and he didn’t need to be electric to prove that. Obviously, some people will more vividly remember those stars who left the crowd in awe with their flash as they took over games or provided endless highlights (sort of like Blake Griffin has began his career doing), but when it’s all said and done, the best players will always be the ones who made the greatest positive impact in leading their teams to victory, regardless of whether they did it in a boring or electric fashion. it’s just about getting the job done.
By the way, if I misunderstood what you were implying by “electric”, then I apologize.
Jerome James
May 12th, 2011
6:16 pm
Is it safe to say that Jeff Teague is the fourth best player on this team, at this point, behind Al, Josh, and Joe?
Personally, I think it is. I think his overall impact on the game is larger than Jamal’s when you factor in his defense and ability to make plays for others. Jamal is by far better than Teague when it comes to offensive ability, but Jamal rarely makes a huge impact on defense, that’s the only reason why I would put Teague ahead of Jamal, in case anyone is wondering.
Buddy Grizzard
May 12th, 2011
6:17 pm
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/12/2213898/nba-playoffs-notebook-hawks-need.html
NBA Playoffs Notebook: Hawks need more out of Johnson
truthspitter
May 12th, 2011
6:27 pm
ag
May 12th, 2011
5:36 pm
The one problem I had with Teague game 5 is he did not take it over in the 4th. Yet, the offense is designed for JJ and Jamal and as the POINT guard, he does what is told.
I agree, he should have ran pick and roll the whole fourth like D Rose does damn near the whole game. On the other hand, if he had been playing all season I think he would have done it. It’s still got to be hard for him to step on the toes of the veteran guys that need the ball like Joe and Jamal
drmaryb (*_-)
May 12th, 2011
6:30 pm
Enlightened!
Dontrell you have really enlightened my limited knowledge of what it is like to play professional basketball. I tried to play it and was awful.
I was a tennis prodigy in my own rights and played in undergraduate
school on a 4 year scholarship. I was a great player.
I took an elective basketball course my freshman year and thought it would be an easy “A”. I barely passed the course with a “D”.
I respect the game tremendously. It is not as easy to play as it looks.
Your comments about Al playing out of his natural position was very helpful to me. Thank You! The GM needs to build this roster and put players in positions to be successful. Period.
This is the NBA man! This a grown man’s business.
bigdave
May 12th, 2011
6:33 pm
this is pretty funny:
http://worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhef75GC3y3sqaji64
truthspitter
May 12th, 2011
6:34 pm
I think people that think that we are going to have to give up Josh or Al to get something we really need are wrong, that’s just my opinion though.
ILL-Logical
May 12th, 2011
6:34 pm
Mr. Johnson, we have an order of goat horns here. Will that be cash or charge?
bigdave
May 12th, 2011
6:36 pm
its also nothing new how they totally disregard possibly traveling to Atlanta..
Buddy Grizzard
May 12th, 2011
6:40 pm
Put it on Nique’s account!
Double Zero Eight
May 12th, 2011
6:43 pm
Let’s hope JJ got to Philips Arena early to work
on his jump shot.
ZaZa deserves to start after his performance in
game 5.
It would be nice to have a “hot” shooting Jamal
tonight. Hopefully he will at least be “warm” instead
of ice cold as he was in game 5.
After Marvin’s last performance which is pretty much
what was expected, Damien should get some meaningful
playing time tonight.
As Slimjr. posted, let’s hope All Star Al shows up tonight.
I have a feeling Josh will be on a mission tonight, and have a great
game in front of the home crowd.
Slimjr
May 12th, 2011
6:47 pm
Iso has to score 30+ in the next two games to have a shot at wining this thang…
Chances are pretty slim that will happen?
Buddy Grizzard
May 12th, 2011
6:54 pm
I wouldn’t put money on a non-money player Slimjr.
Slimjr
May 12th, 2011
6:55 pm
I hear ya @Buddy…..
Blast
May 12th, 2011
6:58 pm
“Hawks need JJ to score to win game 6? Duh? Like we don’t know that.
And Bibby is still struggling in Miami, scoring what? 2 points a game?
ant banks
May 12th, 2011
7:05 pm
for what its worth, i STILL think the hawks win in 7. chicago has the BEST player, but we have the BEST team, between the two.
regardless to what happs, these are still my hawks!!! WE RIDE OR DIE!!!
GO HAWKS!!!!
Blast
May 12th, 2011
7:05 pm
JJ does not need to score 30 for Hawks to win. He has to score 20-25, with 8 assists, Jamal has to score 15-18, and the rest of the team has to play their usual game and Hawks will win.
Of course they have to defend, at worst even out on the boards and win the hustle plays too.
While I’ve been impressed by Hawks playoff run so far, I’m eager to see where Hawks heads are now facing elimination for the first time these playoffs. Will they show up and force game 7?
Find out shortly!
Blast
May 12th, 2011
7:08 pm
Kevin Durant shoots 1000 3 pointers everyday at practice. No wonder his shot is so smooth and effortless.
I wonder how many Hawks players have that same work ethic.