Stevens: Thompson a ‘threat at the rim;’ Teague will be ‘impactful’

The Boston Celtics head coach shared some thoughts about the team’s two new veterans Tuesday.

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens spoke to the media regarding the team’s offseason on Tuesday, and spent several minutes discussing the team’s two veteran signings in free agency, center Tristan Thompson and and point guard Jeff Teague.

The duo will bolster the team’s roster at two positions of need, shoring up the rotation with players who possess playoff experience in abundance and bring a high degree of professionalism to the team for its younger prospects to learn from both on and off the court.

The former Cavalier also brings a very different look on the court than the team has had for some time.

“I think first and foremost, [Thompson is] such a threat at the rim,” explained Stevens.

“I talked to him a little bit yesterday about being able to get to the rim off the actions quickly, because if he doesn’t get it off the initial action in the post, you can certainly get it off the glass. He’s a tremendous offensive rebounder, he plays very physical on offense, he’s good with dribble handoffs, he’s good with fakes.”

“I think that he’ll continue to improve in those areas,” added the Celtics coach.

Stevens believes the existing talent on the roster makes for a good fit on offense, as well, with the team’s young stars fitting well with the Canadian big man.

“I hope that our wings, with all the attention they draw, that’ll open up opportunities for him as well,” suggested the coach.

“I think on the other end, he is that versatile, big defender, where you can play a traditional defense, or you can be more aggressive, or you can switch, and he just gives you a lot of options, great physicality. The combination of lateral mobility, strength, and motor gives him a chance to guard a lot of a lot of people, so we thought that it was important to add to our team.”

“We think he complements our guys well, and we’re excited he’s here,” added Stevens.

The one-time Butler head coach had plenty to say about a point guard he tried quite hard to land when he was still an NCAA coach — Jeff Teague.

“I think he could be really important, but I think that’s not just early in the season, but all the way through,” offered Stevens. “I think that Jeff puts pressure on the defense in transition and get to where he wants to go on offense, and he can pressure the ball defensively.”

“It fits in with everything we need on our team and how we play, especially continuing to be fairly small,” suggested the Indiana native.

“I think that ultimately he will, without a doubt, be impactful,” said Stevens of Teague’s likely role with the team. “It’s great to have him here.”

“It says a lot about him that he would sign the deal to come here because he wants to help us win and and I’m very appreciative of that. He’s a heck of a player and we’ll see how it all fits together again after practice, but we’re glad he’s here.”

A few short months after a season ended prematurely due to a lack of veteran presence and bench scoring — something Teague checks off as a player — it’s likely safe to say that’s a popular position with the rest of the team, too.

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