Skip to main content

The Teague Vs Rubio Debate




The trade that sent Ricky Rubio to the Utah Jazz this off-season was a shock for some, a relief for others and sure reminder that Tom Thibodeau is building this team the way he desires. Thibs, Scott Layden and the Timberwolves front office followed this move up just hours later, signing former Indiana Pacers Guard Jeff Teague to a 3-year, 57 million dollar contract.
The move had mixed reactions shuttering through the fan base.
...
Some believe Teague will bring the shooting touch Rubio so sorely lacked, others think Rubio's passing ability and leadership will not be fulfilled to the same level by Teague.

The basic statistics tell a similar story. Teague scores better and more efficiently than his counterpart – 15.3PPG on 44/36/87 shooting splits compared to Rubio's 11.1PPG on 40/30/89 shooting – while Rubio is a much more efficient passer and floor general – 9.1 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game compared to Teague's 7.8 assists with 2.6 turnovers per game.

The style of basketball Minnesota are looking to play is a big reason why Thibodeau has casted Ricky Rubio aside in favour of Teague.

Ball movement, drive and kick and pick and roll will all feature heavily in the Timberwolves offensive schemes this year, Teague is capable of being the initiator or the kick out 3 point option on all these plays.

Teague is a great player driving and looking to score or create for others, and shoots just under 38% on catch and shoot threes. Rubio may be a wizard when it comes to making others better, but his offensive deficiencies when it comes to shooting hinder the space that stars Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and now Jimmy Butler need to execute their ball dominant play.

Ricky Rubio was a fine servant of the Minnesota Timberwolves, underrated by many but truly loved by most. Rubio will be missed in the Twin Cities, but his replacement Jeff Teague may be a upgrade when it comes to a winning style of play, and we as fans can't wait to see if the new look Timberwolves can acquire those wins.

Article from Jake Paynting for The Howl In The Trees
Check out our Facebook!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Karl-Anthony Towns; Efficiency Extraordinaire Two seasons in to what promises to be an illustrious NBA career, Karl-Anthony Towns has dominated defenses since day one in the league, doing it at a historical efficiency. Towns has shown an unbelievable ability to be effective all over the floor, his shot from behind the arc is a work in progress, but his respectable 36.7% clip ranks him as the 2nd best shooter at his position (with a minimum of 120 attempts) KAT showed an inc redible ability to improve the three ball, shooting at 43.4% on 80 attempts over the last two months of the season. The long ball may be a shot that still needs work at times, but inside the arc Karl-Anthony Towns is the definition of an Efficiency Extraordinaire. He shoots 70.7% from inside 3 feet, 50.0% from between 3 and 10 feet, 47.3 from between 10 and 16 feet and 41.6 from between 16 and the 3PT line. Not one spot is a weakness for Towns, he uses jump hooks with both hands regularly, ...
Roster Previews - Part Six Jamal Crawford SG/PG - 6'5 2016/17 Season Stats: 12.3PPG - 1.4RPG - 2.6APG - 0.7SPG - 1.6TOPG - 41.3FG% - 36.0 3PT% - 85.7FT% In the past one key signing in an off-season would be enough to make Timberwolves fans salivate, but when the news broke that Jamal Crawford had agreed to a deal to come to the Twin Cities, Wolves fans knew the long(!) awaited end to the rebuild had finally come. In Crawford, 37, the Wolves get a veteran 6th man, something they have sorely lacked the last few seasons to partner with stars Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns. Father Time still holds his unbeaten record, but JCrossover is giving him a run for his money . At age 36 Crawford averaged over 12 Points Per Game, hitting the outside shot at a respectable rate and in signature fashion, bruising plenty of ankles along the way. The defensive end of the floor has never been Crawfords strong suit, and another year in the tough Western Conf...
Roster Previews - Part Seven Gorgui Dieng C/PF - 6'11 2016/17 Season Stats: 10.0PPG - 7.9RPG - 1.9APG - 1.2BPG - 1.3TOPG - 50.2FG% - 37.2 3PT% - 81.4FT% A fan and coach favourite, Gorgui Dieng's role is predicted to change to more of a bench rotation player this coming season, but the Louisville products importance to the Timberwolves remains strong. Another effective, yet unspectacular season has Dieng firmly asserted as a key piece to this rising Minnesota team. His numbers stayed very similar to the prior season, he rebounds effectively, plays good (not great) team defense and can swat away his fair share of shots, he is the type of player good teams need to plug the holes between their stars. His feel for the game has clearly improved since his debut season, averaging less turnovers this season compared with last (1.7 to 1.3) despite playing more minutes (27.1 to 32.4), early in his career Dieng was prone to travelling and general issues with adju...