Teague Unfazed by Trade Rumors

Bulls point guard had his name come up in trade rumors to the Utah Jazz over the weekend

Second-year point guard Marquis Teague’s name came up in trade rumors over the weekend. The Utah Jazz were said to be interested in the Bulls guard when their first round draft pick Trey Burke went down with a finger injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for 8 to 12 weeks.

It seemed strange that Teague’s name would come up considering he hasn’t seen much time on the court during the preseason and when he has played, he hasn’t played all that well. But to his credit, the Indianapolis native is staying focused and not letting any of the talk faze him.

"I don’t really listen to it," Teague told CSN Chicago on Monday. "I just worry about where I’m playing right now and try to get better."

"There’s been good and bad. I’m not going to base how he’s doing by one game. To me, it’s what he does every day. What he did all summer, what he did in the fall, how he’s handling practice,” said Tom Thibodeau of Teague. “That (second) unit didn’t play well. He’s in charge of that unit. He’s the point guard. He has to run the team. He has to get everyone playing to their strengths. That’s the responsibility for a point guard. He’s capable of doing better, as is that entire unit.”

Teague is still learning the nuances and intricacies of being a point guard at the NBA level. It’s been an adjustment process filled with a few highlights here and there, but mostly it’s plain to see that there’s a long way to go before he becomes a finished product.

Obviously, for any young player, time on the court will help the learning process along much faster, but Teague is caught in a situation where he’s behind a former league MVP and a veteran going into his 11th season. At this point, the only thing he can do is continue to learn and get better in practice, and be ready for whenever Thibs calls his number.

And that’s exactly what he’s been doing.

“I stay ready. I know it’s a long season, a lot of things can happen,” he said. “Guys get injured, guys get tired, a lot of things happen. So you can’t really worry about the negative things. You’ve just got to stay ready.”

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