Minnesota Timberwolves: 6 bold predictions for the regular season

SHANGHAI, CHINA - OCTOBER 08: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts during the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors as part of 2017 NBA Global Games China at Mercedes-Benz Arena on October 8, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images /

1. Jeff Teague thrives in new role.

As Jeff Teague is set to make $19 million this season, there are some questioning whether he’s really worth $5 million more than Ricky Rubio‘s $14.1 2017-18 salary. There are even some wondering if he’s a better overall player than Rubio. Both are fair questions.

What should be obvious, however, is Teague’s fit with this new-look Wolves’ team. Although he’s not a sharpshooter from downtown, he sits around league average (35.5 percent for his career) and can make a defender pay for going under a ball-screen in ways Rubio could only dream of.

Combine his superior outside shooting with his ability to drive and kick and it creates success for the rest of his teammates. Last season, Teague averaged 9.7 drives per game than Rubio and it resulted in points for his team 60.7 percent of the time. Both of those are better than Rubio’s 6.1 drives per game and the 38.0 percent of the time those drives resulted in points. Oh, and Teague also turns the ball on drives over more infrequently than his point guard counterpart.

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All of this will set Teague up to prosper in the land of 10,000 lakes. The last time he had a supporting cast this talented was when he was with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2014-15 season, a year which saw him make his only All-Star appearance.

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