Jeff Teague says Kobe was overrated defensively

[Mean_Streets]

“I played Kobe, bro. He wasn’t guarding like that."

[Ruma85]

Why are we giving Teague a platform.

[Iwasawitness]

Is the off season going to just be stuff Teague says?

[Hangtime84]

Depends on when but yes he is right

[Mr. Perfect]

Why are we giving Teague a platform.

I've watched a handful of his podcasts and I agree, it's not like he's a good talker/host either. It's just room full of dudes with slurred speech and dumb takes.

[Mamba Mentality]

Is that an actual quote? Dude is making it sound like he was in the thick of some battles with Kobe, when in reality he didn't become a starter until 2011 which was Kobe's last year making an All-Defensive Team.

[ropjhk]

RealGM has had many discussions about Kobe's defense. The consensus is that his later all defensive team placements were based more on reputation than consistent defensive performance but he could still guard opponents at a high level when needed. Kobe clearly was conserving energy defensively in his later years.

Jeff Teague is basing his opinion on how Kobe might have guarded him during the regular season in Kobe's later years.

[Airmiess]

That's because he was in the league after Kobe's peak

[HotelVitale]

Why are we giving Teague a platform.

[I've watched a handful of his podcasts and I agree, it's not like he's a good talker/host either. It's just room full of dudes with slurred speech and dumb takes.

Cuz he's really funny and entertaining. Easily a top podcaster now in the ex-NBA dude world.

Lots of his listeners are aware that he's always doing shtick. Everyone's a joker or fool or selfish POS in his world, his stories will always come back to those same themes. He might not even realize it or do it intentionally but things always end up there. Same thing a comedian does, it's his style and his punchline and his view of the world all tied up. He likes to knock everyone down to a flawed embarrassed etc human level.

[SkyBill40]

We should just start a thread called "Jeff Teague says..." and compile all these takes into one repository of ridiculousness. He's clearly fine with all the smoke and we should be there for it.

[GSWFan1994]

Seems like Teague is regular reader of the RealGM forums.

[tsherkin]

Normally, because it's Jeff Teague and he runs his mouth quite a lot, I'd just dismiss it.

But he hit the league in 2010. By that point, Kobe's defensive rep was well beyond anything he was doing consistently, so this is an accurate read... though the statement ignores that Kobe was already 31 and had a LOT of miles on him at that point. Kobe DID make an All-D 1st Team he probably shouldn't have that year, and All-D 2nd Team as late as 2012, which he also didn't really deserve, primarily on rep. The same thing happened with Jordan, as well.

That said, there's ALSO the fact that Teague was a one-time AS and a mid-teens scorer AT HIS BEST while his career overlapped with Kobe, so Bryant was also probably working only so hard. By the time Teague was anything, it was the 2012 lockout season, and then it was Kobe's year with Mike D, and then the Achilles, and then yeah. He faded out pretty hard once he returned from that, especially given LA's roster.

So there's some context there which Teague obviously isn't offering.

[Capn'O]

Anything to stay relevant, I guess.

[JRoy]

He’s right.

[Cavsfansince84]

Jeff Teague is this summer's Gilbert Arenas.

[bkkrh]

I guess Jeff Teague wants to be the new Gilbert Arenas.

[Pelon chingon]

It's true. His DPOYS belong to D. Christie and B. Bowen.

[azcatz11]

Seems like Teague is regular reader of the RealGM forums.

SoT

Summer of Teague

[Dominator83]

Jeff Teague is this summer's Gilbert Arenas.

More like Kwame Brown

[Dupp]

A bunch of those all defensive awards were ridiculous.