Programming note: Hawks-Warriors coverage starts tonight at 7 p.m. with Warriors Pregame Live on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, and streaming live right here.
OAKLAND – One of the key matchups in the showdown between the Warriors and Hawks on Wednesday will be that of the All-Star point guards.
The Warriors will follow Stephen Curry, MVP candidate and leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game. He's the league's most popular player.
The Hawks will counter with Jeff Teague, whose profile was barely visible only a year ago but was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve.
On the playmaking scale, they're not as far apart as it may seem. But they're very different, with Curry registering considerably higher on the individual highlight meter but Teague running the team like a coach on the floor.
"He's always under control," Curry said after shootaround Wednesday. "He's very shifty and explosive to the rim. It doesn't seem like he makes too many mistakes when he gets out there. He's obviously a gamer; he can have huge games on any given night.
"He leads their charge pretty well with that balanced attack they have, whether it's finishing plays or getting guys involved. He's another guy who gotten confidence, more and more every single year. "
Curry ranks sixth in assists (7.8), while Teague (7.2) ranks eighth. While Curry ranks sixth overall in scoring, at 23.5 points per game, Teague is 32nd at 16.6. Curry ranks behind only Russell Westbrook among point guards, while Teague is the 10th highest-scoring point guard.
But the perception that Teague is much steadier at the point is not borne by the facts. Curry's assists-to-turnovers ratio is 2.51, while Teague's is a slightly better 2.59. For comparison, Clippers star Chris Paul leads all point guards at 4.14.
Curry clearly relishes the rematch with Teague, who led the Hawks to a 124-116 victory over the Warriors on Feb. 6 in Atlanta. Curry finished with 23 points, nine assists and one turnover. Teague finished with 23, seven and two – and the most important stat.
"I watch his games and films, so you know his tendencies and strengths and weaknesses," Curry said. "You've just got to compete. That's basically the deciding factor in games like tonight."
