Boston Celtics 2020-21 individual players grades: Jeff Teague

Now that the 2020-21 Boston Celtics season is firmly in the rear-view mirror, it’s possible to spend some time taking stock of how each player did with the opportunity he had.

To that end, we are grading every player who put in time on the basketball court for the Celtics this season, including all 15 members of the regular roster, both two-way players and the players the team cut or traded away. That’s 21 players altogether, and today’s focus is veteran point guard Jeff Teague. Traded away to the Orlando Magic to make way for veteran shooting guard Evan Fournier at the 2021 NBA trade deadline, Teague did not live up to hopes he’d be a capable backup so late in his career.

Even so, there were some positives to his tenure with the Celtics, so let’s dive into his 2020-21 season assessment to take stock.

Offense

Offense was Teague's calling card if he had one as a Celtic, erupting for a handful of surprisingly helpful performances amid a sea of mostly mediocre outings on that end of the ball. With a few exceptions, he did not provide quite the degree of playmaking he'd been brought in for, though he did manage to crack the team's top five in assists per 100 possessions. Grade: C- https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1406334648741937158?s=20

Defense

Conversely, defense was Teague's Achilles heel, often making the now-12-year veteran unplayable. More than a few fans lost their voice yelling at whatever screen they were watching as Teague simply watched an opponent blow by him. To his credit, he did have some solid nights on this end of the court, but they were few and far between in Boston. Grade: D- https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1406320326716297217?s=20

Intangibles

While he wasn't exactly the sort of vocal leader you'd hope to use a roster spot for given his relative shortcomings elsewhere, he did seem to connect with and have the respect of his teammates. Unfortunately, when it came to going after loose balls and others ways to influence the game when the rest of your play isn't clicking, Teague was often content to play the role of a spectator. Grade: D+ https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1406316704267898893?s=20

Overall

While Teague looks to be capable of providing some deep rotation coverage on occasion, it's looking like his time as an NBA point guard is soon to draw to a close. Father time is undefeated, and this late in the game can require a level of effort a bridge too far for many to maintain in order to stay relevant in a young man's game. Grade: D+ This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! [lawrence-related id=52216,52219,52217,52214] [listicle id=52194]

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