As he enters his first year as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wolves fans may not be too familiar with veteran Jeff Teague‘s style of play.
This off-season, the 29-year-old was brought in to replace Ricky Rubio at point guard. Teague was signed to three-year, $57 million contract after spending last season with the Indiana Pacers. He brings more scoring and versatility to the offense than his predecessor.
The Wolves made a much-needed upgrade at point guard in order for the team to mesh better together. It will take time to see if Teague pays off for the Wolves however, many others including myself believe he is the right fit. Unfortunately for Teague, he will be compared to Rubio all season long. That’s just the way it is in sports — the new guy is always compared to the old guy.
But until we find out if he was in fact the right pick, here are five things you should know about the newest member of the Wolves.
Experience
Teague will be entering his ninth year in the league. He’s a veteran and he knows what it takes to succeed.
Additionally, he’s been in the playoffs during each of his eight previous seasons. While it is well-known that the Wolves have failed to reach the playoffs in each of the previous 13 seasons, this is the type of experience the Wolves need on their team.
Some may throw shade on that by saying he has still yet to reach the Finals, or by noting he has only played in the Conference Finals once. And the result? A sweep by the Cavaliers.
But the same year he helped get the Hawks to the Conference Finals, Teague was named an All-Star. And while we’re comparing, it’s worth noting that former Timberwolf Ricky Rubio has yet to be an All-Star.
With a young team like the Wolves have, it will be vital for Teague to use his experience to help guide the rest of the young stars. What makes it easier for him, however, is that each young star has another year under their belts. Also, two of the Wolves’ young guns were traded in return for another veteran in Jimmy Butler.
Teague wont be the only veteran around, but for a man who has yet to miss the postseason, his words and actions should be taken in deeply by the younger Wolves.
An overall upgrade over Rubio
It is no secret that Jeff Teague is a better shooter than Ricky Rubio. Through Teague’s eight seasons in the league and Rubio’s six, Teague has a .447 shooting percentage compared to Rubio’s .375. This is exactly what the Wolves were looking for.
Teague also possess a .355 3-point percentage and 12.6 points per game compared to Rubio’s .315 and 10.3. Also, Teague has been slightly more efficient from the free throw line in his career shooting .84.4 percent from the stripe as Rubio has shot 83 percent. Based off of these numbers, Teague already looks like an upgrade.
The one trait he does not offer as much as Rubio would be his assist rates. Throughout his career, Teague has averaged 5.5 assists per game as Rubio averages 8.5. However, Teague is coming off of the best passing season of his career as he averaged 7.8 assists per game.
With the Wolves roster, Teague should have no issue dishing the ball and having it ultimately go in the basket more times than not. With Towns, Wiggins, Butler and company, Teague has the ability to average a points/assist double-double this season.
For kicks and giggles, lets also throw in the fact Ricky Rubio doesn’t have a second of playoff experience. Teague has the lone All-Star appearance to Rubio’s none, and while Rubio may have been a veteran in terms of seasons, Teague brings the total package along with his veteran leadership.
It’s not that Rubio is a bad player; it’s the fact that the Wolves brought along someone who is more dynamic and a better fit with the current roster.
He isn’t much of a defensive downgrade
The only real concern Wolves fans should have about Teague is his defense. Although he is an upgrade over Rubio everywhere else on the court, Rubio does hold the advantage defensively.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst made note in a recent article that while Rubio ranked 11th in defensive real plus/minus last season Teague ranked 24th among point guards. This is nothing major, but it does go to show that the Wolves gave up a little of what they need (defense) to get a lot of what they wanted (offense).
Also keep in mind that an improvement for him on defense isn’t that far-fetched. Tom Thibodeau has a way with turning players into All-Star-type defenders (hello, Jimmy Butler.)
On the other hand, it could be much worse. Although Teague is ranked 24th in defensive real plus/minus, there are another 55 point guards ranked behind him. Some of those players include superstars Russell Westbrook (31st), Eric Bledsoe (37th), Kemba Walker (48th), John Wall (50th), Damian Lillard (60th), Kyrie Irving (68th), and Isaiah Thomas (79th).
In reality, he is just simply a downgrade from Rubio. Compared to other stars throughout the league, Teague is statistically a prime two-way player. Numbers may never lie, however, don’t let his defensive numbers fool you. He isn’t an awful defender nor is he an excellent defender. Put him right smack in the middle.
He needs to be able to adjust to Thibs’ style of defense, and he has the experience and smarts to be able to do so quickly. In terms of his defense, it can only go up from here.
His athleticism fits with the roster
Sure, Ricky Rubio is an ideal point guard on the Wolves roster because of his pass-first mentality. However, Jeff Teague’s athleticism and ability to score and/or dish on a fast break makes him a better fit with the rest of the team.
Where as Rubio could run pick-and-rolls all day, Teague can do so while being more explosive to the hoop. That, or he can give a pretty no-look behind the back pass to Towns or anyone else setting him a screen for the finish. Remember how easy Teague and Al Horford made the pick-and-roll look during their time in Atlanta? Imagine running it now with Towns, Gorgui Dieng, Taj Gibson, and the rest of the big men on the team.
In fact, Teague ranked in the 86th percentile on pick-and rolls last season, according to Synergy. As for Ricky Rubio, he ranked in the 51st percentile. I can Teague’s ranking only getting higher this season with the scorers surrounding him.
His athleticism makes him a great shot creator as well. Yes, this is another trait Rubio wasn’t as good at. Teague’s off-ball shooting is something he can use this year to his advantage. With much attention on the rest of the Wolves stars, Teague can create space and pull the trigger anytime. Check out this clip from the 2015 playoffs.
Hopefully we will be seeing tons of this out of him this season.
He will help win close games
Last season, Wolves opponents had a .609 winning percentage in close games — fifth-worst in the league. That wont fly when you’re fighting for a postseason spot. And remember, Teague has never missed the postseason in his eight-year career.
We’ve already talked about Teague’s experience, but that experience will be key in helping the Timberwolves win close games. This will be crucial in order to get a top-four seed as some experts are already predicting. It is also crucial to give the Wolves a taste of winning close games to be able to do so in the playoffs.
Between Gibson, Crawford, Butler, and Teague, the young Wolves should have no issue learning from the veterans. Although Teague doesn’t have the greatest winning percentage in the playoffs, he possesses the valuable minutes many of the Wolves do not.
In terms of opponents winning percentage, the Teague-led Pacers finished 13th in the league last year with opponents beating them 55.6 percent of the time. Clearly, the Pacers were a middle of the pack team in this department. However, keep in mind the Wolves now have a much stronger roster to help Teague in close games. The Pacers….not so much.
Next: Predicting The Wolves' Franchise On NBA 2k18
Keep an eye out for Teague as he will be willing the Wolves to victory in close games this season.