Jeff Teague’s first two seasons in the NBA were an unequivocal bust.
The Atlanta Hawks selected Teague with the 19th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and he repaid them by averaging 4.2 points and 1.8 dimes in just 11.9 minutes of burn his first two seasons in the NBA.
But Teague showed flashes of living up to his promise last season when he averaged 12.6 and 4.9 assists in 33 minutes of burn. He finally earned the trust of head coach Larry Drew and looked poised to play big minutes again this season.
Last summer, new Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry took less than a month to nuke the team when he dealt Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams for cap space and expiring deals. Critics claimed those moves would cost Atlanta in the short term as they lost two starters and the face of the franchise. The main reason why people weren’t fans of the moves is because it created questions about how effective Josh Smith and Al Horford would be if they were relying on an injury-prone point guard in Devin Harris or a relatively inexperienced point guard in Teague.
In a nice twist, those trades were just what Teague needed to make him feel more comfortable as a leader and start asserting himself more on the court.
“I’m just getting the opportunity to play more,” Teague told me. “I’m getting used to Larry Drew’s system. Last year I was thrown in the fire because I didn’t play much my first two years so last year was really like my first year for me. This year has been just me trying to get better.”
It’s more than just getting an opportunity to play more. With Johnson, Mike Bibby and other guys who dominated the ball out of the picture, it has allowed Teague to create more with the ball in his hands. Instead of running a ton of isolation plays for Johnson, Smith and Horford, the team is now using a lot of pick-and-roll offence, allowing the ball is to go through the hands of Teague more now than it ever has before.
On top of that, Teague no longer has to worry about being too vocal and trying to lead guys who have been around the league a lot longer than he has.
“It was very tough,” Teague admitted when asked what it was like being a rookie point guard on a team filled with veterans. “You want to prove to them that you can play. As a point guard you need to be a leader but as a young guy trying to lead 30-year-old guys and telling them what to do was difficult at first but I’m slowing getting better at it.”
The result is Teague currently tied for 11th in the NBA in assists (7.1) and Atlanta as a team ranks second. Instead of the ball getting stuck in the hands of one player, Atlanta is now sharing the basketball in a way they haven’t for years.
Being able to play through mistakes and being on the court more the result is Teague finally has the confidence that he’s a starting point guard in the NBA.
“He lets me play through mistakes,” Teague explained when asked how Larry Drew has helped him grow.
However, it’s not always pats on the back or pep talks. Drew isn’t afraid to give his young point guard some tough love when it’s needed.
“I’m constantly in his ear about different things,” Drew said. “I may yell at him a few times, but he knows what I’m trying to do and that is to make him a better basketball player. He is a big part of what we are trying to do.”
His coach and teammates may put a lot of pressure on him, but Teague has clearly risen to the challenge and appears poised for a long and successful career in the NBA.
Sure, posting career-highs across the board looks good when he’s about to be a free agent, but the true test of any point guard is how well his team is doing. The key proof of his growth is the fact Atlanta is yet again a playoff team this season. Many critics pegged Atlanta as a lottery team last summer but they clinched a playoff spot for the sixth consecutive season last week.
With Atlanta fighting for home-court advantage during a rebuilding season that has been marred by injuries, it’s clear that Teague has had a big impact this season. He’s made the jump from being an athlete who was overwhelmed to a floor general that has the poise to make big plays when his team needs while averaging career-highs in scoring and assists.
Teague is going to be a free agent this summer so his play this season has him poised to cash in, whether or not it’s Atlanta that is paying him.