3 Reasons Jeff Teague should remain the starting point guard (and 2 reasons he shouldn’t)

After Tyus Jones’ inspiring performance filling in for the injured Jeff Teague last Sunday against the Phoenix Suns, many fans in Wolves nation have questioned whether he might be the better fit for the Wolves in the starting lineup. –

It’s a natural knee-jerk reaction from fans to always overvalue the role players who aren’t in positions to get exposed, versus the good but often flawed starting players who are put in the spotlight night in and night out.

However, Jones’ performance on Sunday did show many of the things fans have noticed all year as to why he might be the right fit for the offense.

More from Dunking with Wolves

• The dream starting 5 for Minnesota Timberwolves 5 years from now
• Anthony Edwards’ latest accolade is a great sign of things to come
• In an OT thriller, Team Canada snatches Bronze from Team USA
• Timberwolves start, bench, cut: Mike Conley, Shake Milton, Jordan McLaughlin
• Which Timberwolves roster additions have upgraded the bench?

Jeff Teague is somewhat of a funny lightning rod for Wolves fans. He couldn’t be any more “solid” as a point guard, by most metrics (WS/48 and RPM mostly just describe him as “yeah, this is a decent professional starting NBA point guard”), but seems to draw a lot of ire from the fan base. So it is understandable that the fan base would clamor for any viable alternative.

I am not the biggest Jeff Teague fan in the world, but I do understand he is a good veteran who brings some things to the table that we need to be successful as a franchise (and see how he fits into Thibs vision), and I don’t believe it is an appropriate time (or justification) for benching him in favor of Tyus (whom I also like as a player and prospect).

So let’s examine some reasons why Jeff Teague should keep his starting point guard spot.