As great a scorer and playmaker as Luka Dončić is, his shortcomings on the defensive end of the floor have often left plenty to be desired.
That’s why, while he might be the most — or one of the most — talented offensive players in the game, some still refuse to acknowledge him as the alpha dog in the league.
Notably, that includes former Atlanta Hawks star Jeff Teague. Per Teague, his lack of effort on the defensive end ruled him out of the conversation.
Jeff Teague Says He’d Take Jaylen Brown Over Luka Dončić
Instead, Teague believes that people should pay more attention to what Jaylen Brown is doing. Following his 50-point performance, the retired point guard gave the Boston Celtics star his flowers:
“I told you, he’s the best player — two-way player in the league, and I’m taking him over Luka,” Teague said on his “Club 520” podcast.
Brown recently complained about not being named Eastern Conference Player of the Month. He had a higher scoring average than Jalen Brunson, the winner, and the Celtics also had a better record than the New York Knicks.
His game may not be as flashy as Luka’s, and he’s clearly much more limited as a ball-handler and playmaker. Still, he’s an outstanding perimeter defender, all while being a primary source of offense. Unsurprisingly, Brown signed a five-year $285 million contract extension with the Celtics in the summer of 2023, the largest ever at the time.
Teague Would Also Take Cade Cunningham Over Dončić
Even so, perhaps Teague’s comments on Dončić should be taken with a grain of salt. While Brown deserves all the flowers, this was the second time in less than a week that Teague claimed he’d take another player over the Los Angeles Lakers star.
With the Detroit Pistons sitting atop the Eastern Conference, Teague believes Cade Cunningham is also a better player than Dončić:
“Cade actually plays defense, nobody says Cade is a traffic cone,” Teague said on December 31. “I think Luka one of the greatest offensive talents we’ve ever seen. It’s too glaring. When everybody in the world knows you’re not gonna stop anybody, it’s kinda messed up. Cade can score just as good as Luka.”
Cunningham is also a budding star and a stat-sheet stuffer, just like Dončić. Still, as mentioned by Teague, he’s putting in some effort on the defensive end of the floor.
At the end of the day, everybody’s entitled to their opinion, and you can’t go wrong either way. The league is in great hands right now, and defense clearly isn’t a lost art just yet.
