Is there a point guard controversy brewing for the Atlanta Hawks?
It's usually a good thing to have redundancies. When your primary option fails, it means you can pick right up without much loss of productivity. But when it comes to competitions to start in the NBA, those same redundancies can be a problem.
It's an issue the Atlanta Hawks could very well face in the near future, as both Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder have shown different signs of why they should be the starting point guard moving forward. As Bleacher Report's Jared Johnson writes, "Teague has to start; he's too good to be relegated to a bench role. And Schroder? He just may be the NBA's next superstar floor general. Although he's part of Atlanta's second unit at the moment, he'll be overqualified for that role soon enough."
But the ceiling for Schroder might be ... well, Jeff Teague. Teague is already at the level that Schroder aspires to, and he's become an integral part of Atlanta's success. As Johnson concludes after a deep dive into the roles of each player -- where Teague keeps the offense flowing, Schroder forces defenses to react to him, then creates offense from there -- the priority should be keeping Teague around and making him feel like he is the unquestioned starter.
The onus will be on Schroder, then, to show willingness to continue to come off the bench behind Teague. Or, perhaps coach Mike Budenholzer will figure out a way to play the two alongside each other.
But there should be no controversy in Atlanta. Schroder is good. Teague is better -- and the better starting option for the Hawks.
(h/t Bleacher Report)
Photo Credit: Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports
