Milwaukee Bucks: Getting to know veteran point guard Jeff Teague

New Milwaukee Bucks guard Jeff Teague made his name upon joining the Atlanta Hawks

Teague realized his NBA dream once the Atlanta Hawks selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, which was two spots after when current Bucks starting point guard Jrue Holiday was taken in the draft.

Teague’s first couple of years with the Hawks were spent in a reserve role as he played limited minutes under both Mike Woodson and Larry Drew. That changed in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season where Teague was thrust into a starting role under Drew and didn’t let go of that role over the remainder of his first stint with the Hawks.

Although the Hawks went on to have first round exits over Drew’s three-year stint in Atlanta, Teague asserted himself as a starting-caliber point guard with his jump into the starting unit.

The big fork in the road moment as it relates to Teague’s time in Atlanta came in the summer of 2013 when he hit restricted free agency. In fact, Teague signed a four-year, $32 million offer sheet that would have seen him join Drew in Milwaukee after he replaced Jim Boylan that offseason. However, Teague stayed in Atlanta after the Hawks chose to match his offer sheet.

Now joining forces with current Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, Teague incrementally elevated his game under the two-time NBA Coach of the Year.

That set the stage for Teague’s career year in 2014-15, which doubled as the Hawks’ 60-win campaign and a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Teague earned his lone All-Star appearance while averaging 15.9 points on .460/.343/.862 shooting, 7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals across 73 appearances on the year.

Teague wrapped up his first stint with the Hawks in the 2015-16 season with a run to that year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals that saw the Hawks get swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers. With a young Dennis Schröder waiting in the wings, Teague’s time with the Hawks came to an end that ensuing offseason.