NBA Playoffs: 8 most important players in the conference semis

Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague

The most important individual matchup of the Atlanta/Washington series is between the point guards: Jeff Teague for the Hawks and John Wall for the Wizards. Including each team’s respective benches, this matchup is the only one where the Wizards appear to have the clear advantage.

It can certainly be argued that playoff Paul Pierce may end up outplaying DeMarre Carroll, or that Bradley Beal could provide more of an impact on offense than the sharpshooting Kyle Korver, but the expectation is that Jeff Teague will absolutely have his hands full when he goes up to play John Wall, especially considering that Wall has improved his pull up jumper when opponents collapse towards the basket and limit his passing options.

The incentive is on Teague now to limit the points that Wall can get on mid-range jumpers. This is no longer a shot that the Hawks defense can encourage, and it starts with interference from Teague at the perimeter. Teague also needs to keep the Wizards defense off balance and overcommited with his ball movement. The Hawks will win the series if they have their entire lineup producing.

Next: Washington Wizards