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Minnesota Timberwolves: Five Goals for Jeff Teague

By Christian Anton

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 10: Free Agent signee Jeff Teague of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses for portraits with Scott Layden and Tom Thibodeau on July 10, 2017 at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 10: Free Agent signee Jeff Teague of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses for portraits with Scott Layden and Tom Thibodeau on July 10, 2017 at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 11: Tyus Jones
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 11: Tyus Jones /

3.  Mentor Tyus Jones.  

With the inclusion of Kris Dunn in the Jimmy Butler package to Chicago, some fans think the point guard of the future was lost.  What if he has been on the roster this whole time?

Insert Tyus Jones into the conversation.

Jones is a local kid who happened to win a national championship at Duke.  The late Flip Saunders saw a lot of upside in the Apple Valley product and made a draft day trade to bring him back to Minnesota.

With all of the focus on Rubio and Dunn,  Jones has largely been overlooked in his first two seasons with Minnesota.  This season may be his time to shine.

Unless some blockbuster move happens soon, he is set to be the primary point guard of the second unit this next year.  This is just what the doctor ordered for him because he has shown a lot of upside in his short NBA career.

Along with winning MVP at Summer League in UNLV last year, he has been one of the more consistent shooters for the Timberwolves bench.  Teague can take Jones under his wing and show him by example how to lead an NBA unit.

When looking at his per 36-minute split stats, Tyus nearly averages ten points and seven assists per game.  If given a bigger role the Timberwolves can really start to distinguish if Tyus can be considered as the future of the position.

As a backup to Jeff Teague in Atlanta, Dennis Schroder seemed to flourish.  In his rookie season behind Teague, Schroder averaged nearly four points and two assists per game.  In Teague’s final season in Atlanta, Schroder averaged eleven points and four assists per game.

If Teague can help turn Tyus into a legitimate contributor, there may be a future in coaching for the Timberwolves new point guard.

With Teague being the primary point guard, Tyus will have a great role model to look up to.  The hope is that Teague can teach the young 21-year-old how to be a leader on the second unit.  The bench will be relying heavily on Jones making strides this year.

If Teague can mentor Jones  in the ways of winning at the NBA level, the whole team can benefit greatly next year.