From a team point of view... Teague = Better than Westbrook.

[Diesel]

I think Teague fits what Bud wants to do. I think he is developing into Tony Parker with more speed. From a team standpoint, Teague = Better than Westbrook. That's because Westbrook is really a SG. He has carried the mantle of PG but it's not his nature. His nature is to score.

Teague is not as strong as Westbrook. He doesn't attack the rim as hard as Westbrook, but I think as a team player, he's better than Westbrook. Moreover, I think he can improve upon attacking the rim, I don't think Westbrook will ever change his need to be top dog.

[Admin]

Teague is a better fit for our system but he will never be the same level of PG that Parker is because he can't pass the ball at that level. Watching the Finals and seeing some of the sick passes Parker makes drive me crazy. But Teague is a good knock off that can do 75% of what Parker does and some things better than Parker.

I'm guessing you created this topic based on that one fantasy trade posted over the weekend trying to pair Love and Westbrook together here. For that reason I can see wanting Westbrook but he'd really drive me crazy cheering for him when he shoots the ball instead of passing it.

[Guest]

Teague is a better fit for our system but he will never be the same level of PG that Parker is because he can't pass the ball at that level. Watching the Finals and seeing some of the sick passes Parker makes drive me crazy. But Teague is a good knock off that can do 75% of what Parker does and some things better than Parker.

I'm guessing you created this topic based on that one fantasy trade posted over the weekend trying to pair Love and Westbrook together here. For that reason I can see wanting Westbrook but he'd really drive me crazy cheering for him when he shoots the ball instead of passing it.

This version of Tony Parker that he is now was not the same Tony Parker his 4th year in the league running the SAS system.

He grew into what we see today. Will Teague ever be as good? doubtful - but there is a chance he can be close if we can get palyoff Teague more often than not.

[Admin]

This version of Tony Parker that he is now was not the same Tony Parker his 4th year in the league running the SAS system.

He grew into what we see today. Will Teague ever be as good? doubtful - but there is a chance he can be close if we can get palyoff Teague more often than not.

I realize that but Parker was always a PG. Teague has always been an undersized SG and that was the knock on him coming out of college. Check out this though... kinda neat on his story and gives me hope for Teague.

The journey began in Frankfurt, Germany, where Tony Parker boarded an airplane for a 15-hour flight to Chicago in June 2001. He was not a secret to NBA scouts. They knew he began playing professionally at age 15 in his native France and he was a tantalizing talent.

In international competition against players in his age group, he was often dominant. He had much to learn, but for a player who turned 19 a little more than a month before the 2001 draft, he had a unique set of skills and experience.

How that would convert to the NBA, however, was a mystery. Parker was not a great shooter. For a point guard, he was not a natural passer. But when he took off from one baseline to the other, it was like he was shot out of a rocket launcher. His on-court speed with the ball was as fast, if not faster, than any player in the world.

His first workout was with the Spurs. They had won the title two years earlier but were eliminated in the first round of 2000 playoffs when Tim Duncan was sidelined with a knee injury. In 2001, they lost to Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, who were on their way to three straight championships.

The Spurs still had a talented roster and had the best record in the league, 58-24, during the regular season. But the Lakers were obviously a formidable opponent and the Spurs knew they needed to add talent, which was not going to be easy since they had only the 28th pick in the 2001 draft.

Spurs coaches and scouts were split on Parker, so they were curious to see how he played in a one-on-one matchup with Lance Blanks, then a front office employee with the team. Blanks had played three years in the NBA and despite being 34 and retired, he relished competition.

With Parker suffering an acute case of jet lag, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Blanks simply embarrassed him in the workout. Afterwards, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich spared no words with Parker and his agent. “I told both of them that he’s too soft and I’m looking for someone with more fiber and grit,” Popovich said. “He was nonchalant, like he was in a café outside of Momart in Paris having a glass of wine and a croissant. It didn’t seem to matter to him any more than that.

But Parker didn’t feel that was a fair judgment. “I flew 15 hours and I landed and went straight to the workout,” Parker said. “I was tired and didn’t do well and Pop didn’t want to see me again.”

Personnel chief R.C. Buford had seen the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Parker play in a tournament against all the best players in the world in his age group, however, and was enamored with Parker’s abilities. So was Spurs basketball special assistant Sam Presti, now the general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder. But all they heard from the rest of the coaching staff were complaints about Parker’s limitations.

It wasn’t enough to point out that the Spurs had only the last pick in the first round, so taking a chance on a long shot wasn’t a bad strategy. But they sought to convince the other coaches by making a video of Parker making plays in competition that he supposedly could not make.

Three days before the June 27 draft, the Spurs brought Parker to San Antonio for another visit. By that time, he had worked out for many teams and reports from each city had team personnel raving about Parker’s abilities.

In San Antonio, Parker had a brilliant workout that convinced Popovich and all the other coaches that he had a chance to be a great NBA player. Unfortunately for the Spurs, others were also convinced.

“We walked out of the workout and Pop said that it would take Tony no more than 10 games to start for the team that drafted him,” Buford said. “But that team was not going to be us. There were too many teams that needed a point guard drafting ahead of us. Some of them had multiple picks. We did everything to move up in the draft to take him, but we couldn’t make a deal. We went to the draft that night and we all knew there was no way he would last until 28.”

One team that reportedly fell in love with Parker was Boston. The Celtics had three picks – 10, 11 and 21 – but picked Joe Johnson (who turned out to be an All-Star player), and a pair of forgettables (Kedrick Brown and Joseph Forte).

Orlando needed a point guard to replace 32-year-old Darrell Armstrong and had the 15th and 22nd picks. The Magic surprised the Spurs, however, by taking Steven Hunter (who became a journeyman) and Jeryl Sasser (whose career lasted 82 games).

Toronto at 17, Utah at 24 and Sacramento at 25 had all worked out Parker and the Spurs were sure one of them would take him.

But each passed.

At 28, he was still available.

The Spurs were ecstatic.

“We couldn’t believe it,” Buford said. “We never thought he would fall to us, but it was just a series of things that kept happening and he kept slipping.”

Popovich turned out to be a prophet, albeit quicker than he thought. He said Parker would start after 10 games as a pro. After only five games, Popovich inserted him in the starting lineup to replace Antonio Daniels, and San Antonio went on to win 58 games, second most in the league. Parker’s rookie stats were modest – 9.2 points, 4.3 assists, 41.9 percent shooting from the field. But it was clear he had the potential to be a star player.

Read more at http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2013/03/21/hubbard-how-the-spurs-ended-up-with-tony-parker/#zYb7mTR1pXUEFBcX.99

[Guest Zone]

I wish he was as good as Westbrook.

[Guest]

I realize that but Parker was always a PG. Teague has always been an undersized SG and that was the knock on him coming out of college. Check out this though... kinda neat on his story and gives me hope for Teague.

Yep - read that article before. There is still hope for Teague if he can get his head out of his ass.

[hazer]

Was listening to Mike & Mike a few weeks ago and they pulled out the stat that Westbrook has the longest "hold" of the ball between passes than anyone else in the NBA.

[HawkItus]

I've always felt Westbrook should be a 2 guard. Put him at 2 and let him impersonate Allen Iverson.

[jy23]

Is this serious? In no way in any capacity is Teague better than Westbrook. There may be 4 guys in the league is rather have on my team than Westbrook. It's not like Teague is a true pg anyway so what's the argument?

[Admin]

Is this serious? In no way in any capacity is Teague better than Westbrook. There may be 4 guys in the league is rather have on my team than Westbrook. It's not like Teague is a true pg anyway so what's the argument?

I can't stand the thought of having a PG flat out refusing to throw a pass to our superstar, arguably the #1 player in the game, when he's wide open and instead the PG driving into traffic and throwing up an ugly shot. That's Westbrook against the Spurs and that play epitomizes the type of mentality he has.

[Guest]

I can't stand the thought of having a PG flat out refusing to throw a pass to our superstar, arguably the #1 player in the game, when he's wide open and instead the PG driving into traffic and throwing up an ugly shot. That's Westbrook against the Spurs and that play epitomizes the type of mentality he has.

OKC is struggling with their hierarchy - might need a coaching change to fix what ails them.

[Admin]

OKC is struggling with their hierarchy - might need a coaching change to fix what ails them.

I think they need to move Westbrook for a quality SG / draft pick and then let Reggie take over at PG. That team could be really good and I think they've got a good coach but when you've got 2 young alpha dogs both trying to run the show it's never going to be a recipe for continued success.

[Guest]

I think they need to move Westbrook for a quality SG / draft pick and then let Reggie take over at PG. That team could be really good and I think they've got a good coach but when you've got 2 young alpha dogs both trying to run the show it's never going to be a recipe for continued success.

I agree - they also need a bench.

[capstone21]

Westbrook is definitely more of a sg.

OKC's system is a mess...kinda playground. Give Westbrook and Durant the ball and watch them score.

The team gets by on their talent

They have a bad coach but the community loves him. They need a young Andre Miller type, a system, and a consistent three point shooter to make them a championship team.

[jy23]

I can't stand the thought of having a PG flat out refusing to throw a pass to our superstar, arguably the #1 player in the game, when he's wide open and instead the PG driving into traffic and throwing up an ugly shot. That's Westbrook against the Spurs and that play epitomizes the type of mentality he has.

He's playing out of position, his natural instinct is to score in crunch time, that's not his fault. And if KD can't let him know that he wants or needs the ball in those circumstances it's just as much of an indictment on him as it is Westbrook. Everybody points the finger at Westbrook but KD shoulders that blame as well. They also basically have no coach, he has to step in and make sure things run smoother. This is a 25 year old superstar that understands how good he is and wants to win but doesn't have the proper direction. That team is honestly a mess they're just so dn talented. When is somebody going to get on KD for shooting so many 3s, for not driving to the basket in crunch time and getting to he line bc he did none of that in the playoffs. Get serge more involved. Brooks wasn't playing the bench until everybody got on to him about it and lamb and Adams both showed up big. It's not westbrooks fault and I'm tired of reading that same easy argument all the time. Give me Westbrook and I'll build a champion around him.

[Admin]

He's playing out of position, his natural instinct is to score in crunch time, that's not his fault. And if KD can't let him know that he wants or needs the ball in those circumstances it's just as much of an indictment on him as it is Westbrook. Everybody points the finger at Westbrook but KD shoulders that blame as well. They also basically have no coach, he has to step in and make sure things run smoother. This is a 25 year old superstar that understands how good he is and wants to win but doesn't have the proper direction. That team is honestly a mess they're just so dn talented. When is somebody going to get on KD for shooting so many 3s, for not driving to the basket in crunch time and getting to he line bc he did none of that in the playoffs. Get serge more involved. Brooks wasn't playing the bench until everybody got on to him about it and lamb and Adams both showed up big. It's not westbrooks fault and I'm tired of reading that same easy argument all the time. Give me Westbrook and I'll build a champion around him.

I sat there and watched a wide open by at least 5' KD wave his arms, Westbrook ignored him drove into traffic and put up a trash shot but luckily he got fouled. KD gave him an earful on the way to the huddle and Westbrook walked right past him. He's a disaster and I'd want no part of him unless it was our only shot at Love / Lebron as suggested in the trade forum.

[jy23]

I sat there and watched a wide open by at least 5' KD wave his arms, Westbrook ignored him drove into traffic and put up a trash shot but luckily he got fouled. KD gave him an earful on the way to the huddle and Westbrook walked right past him. He's a disaster and I'd want no part of him unless it was our only shot at Love / Lebron as suggested in the trade forum.

That's the flow of their game....Westbrook is blamed for ignoring KD in the last second but what about KD and all of his late turnovers and horrible long range shots? Like I said, this guy is a 25 year old stupid talented player who's been playing out of position with no direction from the coaching staff. Give me somebody like that all day and I'll make it work. What you can't question is the guys desire to win. You pointed out a play, I can point to an entire series where KD played like crap against Memphis....do you not want him either?

[Admin]

That's the flow of their game....Westbrook is blamed for ignoring KD in the last second but what about KD and all of his late turnovers and horrible long range shots? Like I said, this guy is a 25 year old stupid talented player who's been playing out of position with no direction from the coaching staff. Give me somebody like that all day and I'll make it work. What you can't question is the guys desire to win. You pointed out a play, I can point to an entire series where KD played like crap against Memphis....do you not want him either?

He's out of position because he doesn't have one. Too small to play SG and too selfish to play PG. I'd take KD 100 times out of 100 if I had to choose between he and Rus.

[willthepureshooter]

Westbrook's a horrible point guard that won't change his alpha ways on the court. Anyone that thinks he's a good point guard should go watch his career from the start to now. He's still killing his team with his selfish play.

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[IheartVolt]

OKC was playing better basketball when Mebrook was hurt and out of the lineup. That is enough to tell you OKC's story right there