A Change Of Scenery Helped Both Jeff Teague and George Hill
For the first time since their trade this summer, Jeff Teague takes on George Hill as the Indiana Pacers face the Utah Jazz.
When Jeff Teague and the Indiana Pacers take on the Utah Jazz and George Hill tonight, there will be a lot at stake… for fans looking to double down on their opinions they’ve likely had of both players for some time.
The trade of George Hill, Jeff Teague, and a draft pick immediately sparked sighs of relief from some corners while others feared how the Pacers defense would handle his departure.
So is one team or player looking better after this trade? Let’s take a look.
Jeff Teague
15.6 points, 8 assists, 4.1 rebounds a game, 44.9% FG, 32.2% 3P%, 57.3% TS%
Teague’s numbers aren’t bad at all, especially his career high eight assists a game. They look even better when you look at the numbers since Glenn Robinson became a starter, they then jump up to 16.7 points and 9.7 assists a game. He shooting is even better as he is 49.5% from the field and 36.2% on 3-pointers since then.
The Indiana Pacers are 22-20 this season, with Teague playing in all the game.
George Hill
17.9 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds a game, 50% FG%, 32.2% 3P%, 61.8% TS%
Hill’s five points and an assist better a game compared to last season as he is Utah’s leading option at guard while still playing great defense. Hill has slid in and out the lineup due to injuries, but when he is playing, the Jazz have one of the best net ratings in the NBA.
The Jazz are 28-16 this season, but more importantly, 16- 4 with George Hill.
So who won the trade?
Is it OK to say both? Or at least too close to call?
There is a point to that, though, and it is mainly about how they’ve played with their teammates more than the sum of their individual accomplishments.
The criticism that came towards Hill last season was he was too passive. It was true, but there was the same reason for that as well as for why Teague struggled at the beginning of the season.
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
Monta Ellis.
It isn’t entirely his fault, but the fact was Ellis forced both players to take a step back as the team’s point guard. Ellis needs the ball in his hands, and that takes away the main job of the point guard. It worked at times, but it just wasn’t consistent enough for the offense to build on.
For Teague, once the Pacers sorted out their starting lineup, he regained the form that once made him an All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks.
Teague lifted the Pacers from the bottom of the NBA in offensive rating to the middle, while Hill has turned the Jazz’s defense into one of the NBA’s best.
It is all about role and fit.
When things don’t fit together, players don’t get the most out of themselves, and their teams suffer for it. When given the right role and pieces around them, both have thrived.
For this to happen for both players, the trade almost had to happen. There likely wasn’t a scenario where Indiana kept Hill and acquired Teague, and one would need to take the backseat to the other.
If I had to declare a winner, I’d give the Jazz a slight edge as they’ve been more consistent and have the better record. Hill takes the edge in stats, but Teague’s are great as well.
But looking at what both players have done for their new teams, it is hard to see either team as a loser right now.
