Teague's expectations: Can he be the next CP or Tony Parker?

[hawks21]

Physically, Jeff Teague has all the skills to be a productive NBA player. However, he is mentally ready to take on a leadership role as well. Mike Bibby is still here, but let's face he is getting older and look rather slow at times. Coach Woodson needs Teague's energy in the lineup at least 22 to 25 minutes a game. Even though he is known as a shooter, but his athleticism somewhat rival Josh Smith. There was one play in that Orlando game that gave us a glimpse into the 'heart' of Jeff Teague. The Magic was on the verge of scoring and Teague came racing down the court to block the shot..now Dwight Howard got the rebound dunked, but that's the type of 'no-quit' attitude is what we need in the lineup.

Teague will make mistakes, but it is a high risk-high reward situation. The Spurs stuck by Tony Parker during his early years and had an early impact and was instrumental in helping the Spurs win in 2001. Coach Sloan stuck by Deron Williams. Coach Scott let Chris Paul do his thing.

Woodson may be on the hotseat, but Teague brings certain intangibles to the court that is needed to give the Hawks a new swagger and profile.

At times, Bibby is predictable and so is JJ. Josh is unpredictable and limited as a player. Teague can do it all potentially from shooting threes, running a team and blocking shots, and if a 'last second shot has to be taken', he can take it without hesitation (unlike Marvin)..

Right now this Hawks team has a leadership void, and if JJ hasn't filled it by now, he never will. Bibby is a good leader, but the Hawks need a young impact player who is contributing every night for this team to go to the next level.

I would like to see how Teague competes against the Lakers on the road or against Cleveland in Atlanta. High-risk, high-reward is something Coach Woodson has to take a gamble on, and I believe Jeff teague is worth it.

Teague has a stronger belief and confidence in himself and abilities than Acie Law had, and this is what the Hawks need now, going forward.

[Admin]

I think most of us have very high expectations of Teague but I have to say that I'm extremely worried about him becoming a star unless he puts in some serious work on that hideous jump shot of his. I'd give up a 1st round pick right now just to get him Childress' jump shot, that's how ugly his shot looked against Orlando, which to be fair is the only time I've seen him shoot outside of college highlights.

I absolutely LOVED seeing him come flying down the court (ala Josh Smith) to block Peitrus and he looks like he can get to the basket against anyone. As long as he can stop dribble penetration from the opposing PG and he can learn to knock down the medium to long range shot he's got a real good chance of becoming a star.

[coachx]

A cross between Rondo and Parker is possible.

Maybe he can extend his range out to the NBA 3 in a couple of years. Right now his game seems to be a little bit from mid range but 80% of his offensive game appears to centerd around driving the to the paint for a close score or FT attempts...............much like Rondo and Parker.

I hope he evolves into more of a PG like them and less of a combo guard like JT or Barbosa.

The key to his playing time will be his play on defense. We got Crawford and Bibby to score............we need a guy to defend the quick PGs of the NBA.

[MaceCase]

With that jumpshot of his he's closer to Ray Felton than anything else.

[niremetal]

I love Teague aka JT-0, but...

1) He's not anywhere remotely close to the floor general that CP3 and Deron were when they came into the league. Their court vision was and is world class and they have always looked to pass first. Teague was more of a shooting guard in college and had an atrocious Ast/TO ratio for any guard, much less a PG

2) He doesn't have the ginormous hands that Rondo has and his wingspan, while very good, is not Rondo-esque. Combine that with his questionable commitment to defense in college, and I don't see Rondo defensive potential there.

3) I've neither seen nor heard anything to indicate that Teague is ready to fill any leadership void. If anything, his maturity was questioned in college.

Also, the Spurs didn't have a proven starting PG at the time Parker entered the league (Avery had moved on the summer before and the starter was Antonio Daniels). Parker was also an unknown commodity since he was drafted from abroad, where he played for a relatively little-noticed French team, while Teague was much more heavily scouted.

He's got great potential, but come on now - CP3 or Tony? HE was the 6th-8th PG selected in the draft, depending on how you want to categorize players. If he looked anything like those two, you can bet your butt he'd have gone higher.

Edited October 27, 2009 by niremetal

[Admin]

With that jumpshot of his he's closer to Ray Felton than anything else.

He looks closer to Stuart from MadTV to me. "Look what I can do"

[MaceCase]

He looks closer to Stuart from MadTV to me. "Look what I can do"

Oh god you just sent chills down my spine remembering the sound of his mom's voice.

[EazyRoc]

I love Teague aka JT-0, but...

1) He's not anywhere remotely close to the floor general that CP3 and Deron were when they came into the league. Their court vision was and is world class and they have always looked to pass first. Teague was more of a shooting guard in college and had an atrocious Ast/TO ratio for any guard, much less a PG

2) He doesn't have the ginormous hands that Rondo has and his wingspan, while very good, is not Rondo-esque. Combine that with his questionable commitment to defense in college, and I don't see Rondo defensive potential there.

3) I've neither seen nor heard anything to indicate that Teague is ready to fill any leadership void. If anything, his maturity was questioned in college.

Also, the Spurs didn't have a proven starting PG at the time Parker entered the league (Avery had moved on the summer before and the starter was Antonio Daniels). Parker was also an unknown commodity since he was drafted from abroad, where he played for a relatively little-noticed French team, while Teague was much more heavily scouted.

He's got great potential, but come on now - CP3 or Tony? HE was the 6th-8th PG selected in the draft, depending on how you want to categorize players. If he looked anything like those two, you can bet your butt he'd have gone higher.

I think he could be as good as Tony Parker, but CP3 and Deron Williams may be out of his range.

[Admin]

Oh god you just sent chills down my spine remembering the sound of his mom's voice.

Haha "what does momma say about that"?

[BusBoyIsBack]

Can he? Sure but he's far away from that right now. Right now he's like the rookie version of Devin Harris. Loads of potential because of his physical gifts but far from a floor general.

I love Teague but man did Minnesota screw us by taking you know who right before our pick

[hawks21]

I think most of us have very high expectations of Teague but I have to say that I'm extremely worried about him becoming a star unless he puts in some serious work on that hideous jump shot of his. I'd give up a 1st round pick right now just to get him Childress' jump shot, that's how ugly his shot looked against Orlando, which to be fair is the only time I've seen him shoot outside of college highlights.

I absolutely LOVED seeing him come flying down the court (ala Josh Smith) to block Peitrus and he looks like he can get to the basket against anyone. As long as he can stop dribble penetration from the opposing PG and he can learn to knock down the medium to long range shot he's got a real good chance of becoming a star.

When Jeff blocked Pietrus' shot who is 6'8 , to me that showed a desire to win and a "refuse to lose" attitude. This is what the Hawks need more of . Teague seem like the type of player who will get in the face of his teammates if needed (unlike Marvin, Joe, etc.)

Teague's jump shot form may not be ideal, but Tony Parker received criticism for his outside shooting along with Rajon Rondo. However, their coaches didn't hold it against them and maybe they aren't Reggie Miller or Paul Pierce, but Teague has other attributes that still makes him a potential impact player on the court.

Tony Parker used his quickness to get to the basket to draw fouls or put up floaters in the lane and I believe Teague may have to take that approach when he gets time on the floor.

I also believe Coach Woodson will let Teague play through his mistakes. I get the impression that Woodson will show more leniency toward Jeff. He beleives more in his talent and leadership qualities than he did Acie Law. And this is a secondary reason, but Teague is from the Indianapolis area as well, just like Woodson. So he is probably more familiar with him as a player.

Acie also had a fear of making mistakes and being taken out for games. With Teague, I don't see that happening. He will trust Teague to work through his mistakes, and if his shot isn't working, then attack the basket, block a shot, set up a teammate, steal a pass. or dunk on someone. Teague has the ability to make his teammates better and give the Hawks' momentum during times in the game in which the Hawks need it and that's an attribute that is required in a 'franchise player'.

Edited October 27, 2009 by hawks21

[mrhonline]

I like the Parker comparison. Harris was a superior defender at this stage in his development.

Parker isn't a great defender, had to work A LOT on his outside game, had to learn to take better care of the ball, and had great upside as a scorer. Teague's a bit more athletic.

[Atlantaholic]

His jumpshot is the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life. He makes Josh Childress look like Ray Allen... He needs to improve, but right now I think as a starter he would give us 10 ppg and around 6-7 assts. Off the bench you should probably cut those assists by half and the points down to 7-8, and I believe that would be a realistic expectation for this season. He has potential, but no NBA starting PG can get away with having a shot as bad as his has been (especially if you play for Mike Woodson and his "give the ball to Joe in the corner all game" offense). In college he was a great shooter so you know he can probably get that fixed at some point. His mechanics though, are a little worrying.

[exodus]

When Jeff blocked Pietrus' shot who is 6'8 , to me that showed a desire to win and a "refuse to lose" attitude. This is what the Hawks need more of . Teague seem like the type of player who will get in the face of his teammates if needed (unlike Marvin, Joe, etc.)

Teague's jump shot form may not be ideal, but Tony Parker received criticism for his outside shooting along with Rajon Rondo. However, their coaches didn't hold it against them and maybe they aren't Reggie Miller or Paul Pierce, but Teague has other attributes that still makes him a potential impact player on the court.

.

Parker and Rondo don't shoot like girls. I agree with Dolphan. That **** is ugly.

[Joker]

He looks on Q with this guy: Not a superstar but an exciting player and a star at that time period.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhkQFkv-c9M

[niremetal]

His jumpshot is the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life. He makes Josh Childress look like Ray Allen... He needs to improve, but right now I think as a starter he would give us 10 ppg and around 6-7 assts. Off the bench you should probably cut those assists by half and the points down to 7-8, and I believe that would be a realistic expectation for this season. He has potential, but no NBA starting PG can get away with having a shot as bad as his has been (especially if you play for Mike Woodson and his "give the ball to Joe in the corner all game" offense). In college he was a great shooter so you know he can probably get that fixed at some point. His mechanics though, are a little worrying.

It's more than a little worrying. For someone who is just 6'0 without shoes, having a jumper that is released low, slow, and in front of the body is a recipe for disaster. Opposing defenses will learn before too long to just lay off him and make him shoot jumpers. Put someone who is 6'3 or taller on him, and he'll be toast.

It's a fatal flaw to his game. No PG in the NBA can become more than an average player with a jump shot that is so easily blockable/alterable. He either needs to develop a higher release point (like CP3), a MUCH quicker release (like Bibby), or both.

Edited October 27, 2009 by niremetal

[exodus]

Parker and Rondo don't shoot like girls. I agree with Dolphan. That **** is ugly.

[Kimsey]

His defense alone should cut into Bibby's minutes significantly. His shot needs some work but he can make the 20 footer at around 45%. He is clearly the teams best defender against point guards.

[sillent]

If the season goes how I think it will for Teague he will be starting after the allstar break. Bibby may try to make sure that Teague will have to wait till next year.

[sillent]

If the season goes how I think it will for Teague he will be starting after the allstar break. Bibby may try to make sure that Teague will have to wait till next year.

Not saying that the competition that will be there is a bad thing.