Why Hawks' Backcourt of Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver Belongs Among NBA's Best

Although maybe not as high profile as other guard tandems, the Atlanta Hawks' backcourt duo of Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver should still be considered among the NBA's very best. 

Behind Teague's dynamic playmaking ability and the unprecedented sharpshooting of Korver, the Hawks have begun the season 12-6 and currently reside third in the Eastern Conference standings.

Teague is currently posting career highs in points, assists, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw attempts thus far this season. The former Wake Forest point guard has utilized his elite athleticism and a constant attacking mentality to produce the best ball of his career. 

Korver's forte in the league remains his well-documented long-range shooting prowess, yet the 33-year-old veteran seems to be operating at his highest-ever level this season. Korver is shooting 53 percent from the field, including a ridiculous 56 percent from three-point land. 

Let's examine in detail how Atlanta's backcourt combo has developed into one of the more formidable units in the league.

Teague

As mentioned above, Teague is enjoying the best period of his young career in the early stages of the 2014-15 season:

Year	PPG	FG%	APG	TS%
2012-2013	14.57	.451	7.24	.543
2013-2014	16.51	.438	6.68	.541
2014-2015	18.00	.486	7.24	.607

After struggling to understand his role under former managers Mike Woodson and Larry Drew, Teague is finally beginning to maximize his potential under current coach Mike Budenholzer. 

His lightning-quick first step continues to be his biggest asset, allowing him to get to the rim at ease. NBA.com's definition of a drive is "any touch that starts at least 20 feet of the hoop and is dribbled within 10 feet of the hoop", and Teague has driven to the basket at the fourth-highest clip in the Association. 

Out-of-control drives can often lead to those deadly live-ball turnovers that can cripple an offense. But Teague's penetrating ability normally results in positive plays for Atlanta (like his monstrous dunk against the Lakers seen below.) His 6.9 PPG on drives ranks fourth in the league, while the Hawks as a team benefit from over 12 points a game due to Teague drives. 

Needless to say, Teague's relentless pursuit of the bucket has resulted in a career-high in free-throw attempts at 5.65 per game. That mark compares favorably with the other top point guards that get to the charity stripe in bunches. 

The 6'2" floor general uses an assortment of tricky dribbles and head fakes to break down the defense, often leading to easy baskets for his teammates. Obviously Teague is more likely to dish the ball to Atlanta's more potent offensive threats, but Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Korver are all hitting shots at a high mark via Teague passes.

Horford is the main beneficiary of Teague's playmaking abilities, shooting a gaudy 55 percent off of Teague dishes according to the SportVU tracking system deployed by NBA.com. Notice Teague's vision to create an easy scoring opportunity for the trailing Horford in the clip below:

Teague has provided glimpses of these valuable traits throughout his career, but the most promising development in his improved play is increased success when he's forced to shoot the rock.

Yes, shooting roughly 60 percent of his attempts from less than 10 feet will boost efficiency, but Teague has increased his percentages from downtown and in his pull-up game. A leap from 36.8 percent to 44.6 percent in his pull-up shooting percentage represents the noticeable uptick in Teague's scoring.

Korver

The other cog in Atlanta's backcourt machine couldn't be more different than Teague, but Kyle Korver's style of play complements his fellow guard quite well. 

At this point, Korver's sweet shooting stroke is the stuff of legends. But even the most avid Hawks fans must be shocked at his continued long-distance success. Korver is launching more than five threes a game and making 56.7 percent of them.

I mean, come on. If he were any hotter, opposing defenders would endure third-degree burns.

Zach Lowe at Grantland recently wondered aloud if Korver may actually finish the season shooting over 50 percent from deep:

To better understand Korver's jaw-dropping start to the season, take in this ridiculous nugget Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders dropped on his Twitter feed: 

Over 50 percent of Korver attempts are catch-and-shoot triples, and he's converting those shots at a near-60-percent rate. Even more impressive is his ability to make shots with a hand in his face, as he's shooting 53 percent when opposing defenders are two to four feet away. 

This can be said without the slightest hint of hyperbole: Kyle Korver is the best shooter in the NBA today and maybe ever.

Similar to Teague, Budenholzer's up-tempo style focused on ball movement and off-the-ball action has provided Korver with the canvas to paint the greatest masterpiece of his career. 

Back in July, Lowe mentioned Korver's success in Budenholzer's system: 

"

No coach has unleashed the full breadth of Korver's game like Budenholzer. Korver isn't a traditional pick-and-roll player; he can't dribble the ball 25 feet to the rim, juking dudes along the way. But Budenholzer has tailored a sort of hybrid species of pick-and-roll to his secret star—a high-speed curling action in which Korver takes a pitch or a handoff, probes the defense with a dribble or two, and makes the next pass from there.

"

Moving without the ball is critical for Korver's desire to let it fly. As Lowe uncovered, Korver "traveled at least six feet in the second preceding the release of 61 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3's", which ranked fifth out of all players in three-point attempts. 

Observe how Korver feints left, setting up his unsuspecting defender for the upcoming pick in the clip below. The tiny sliver of space created by Korver's movement leads to an eventual four-point play:

For what Korver lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in basketball IQ and movement without the ball. Defenders are fully aware of his intent to launch the long ball, yet he continues to wreak havoc on opposing defenses because he just knows how to get open.

Together, Teague and Korver make up one of the better offensive backcourts in the league. In fact, Atlanta's pairing at the guard position ranks fifth in backcourt offensive rating. ESPN NBA Insider Tom Haberstroh's graphic below proves the Teague/Korver combo isn't too far behind the "Splash Bros" at the top of the list:

The Atlanta Hawks represent the fourth-most efficient offense in the NBA, and it all starts with its guard play. Led by Teague and Korver, the Hawks should be able to finish comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.