Doyel: Jeff Teague for George Hill? A steal for Pacers

Jeff Teague for George Hill? That’s a trade you make every day of the week and twice on Sunday, because at some point Indiana Pacers President Larry Bird ought to walk into church and offer a prayer of forgiveness.

Because he just stole from somebody.

Hard to say whom Bird fleeced, seeing how the trade he pulled off Wednesday was not, technically, Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague for the Pacers’ George Hill. A third team is involved, the Utah Jazz, who sent the No. 12 pick in Thursday’s draft to the Hawks. The Hawks sent Teague to the Pacers. The Pacers sent Hill to the Jazz.

Pacers acquire Jeff Teague, trade George Hill

Who got ripped off here, the Hawks or Jazz? Don’t know yet. Don’t care, either. Today, what we know for sure is this: The Pacers won.

The Pacers won big.

The Pacers just got younger. They got more aggressive. They got a point guard for Paul George!

Sorry. I seem to be shouting. But today is not a day for subtleties, because this is not a subtle improvement the Pacers just made. Teague and Hill cost the same against the salary cap, but Teague (15.7 points per game, 5.9 assists in 2015-16) is clearly better than Hill (12.1 ppg, 3.5 apg) and — at age 28 — two years younger.

And Teague will make the Pacers more attractive to free agent targets.

Twitter reacts to Pacers trade for Jeff Teague

Great players want to play with a point guard, and the Pacers just got their best point guard since, um, when? Over the past three seasons Teague has averaged 16 points and 6.5 assists per game. The last time the Pacers had a point guard who could score and create like that? The early 1990s, when it was Vern Fleming and then Micheal Williams running the show.

Paul George has never had a point guard like this. He’s not dependent on someone else to get him shots — he can get a decent shot whenever he wants one — but he sure will enjoy having easy shots handed to him each game. And Teague does that.

Unlike Hill, who at 6-3 is built like a point guard but preferred to stand in the corner and wait for the ball, Teague is aggressive. You could argue, and I’m about to, that Jeff Teague is the most aggressive point guard in the whole league.

According to NBA.com statistics, Teague ranked fifth last season in driving, attacking the rim 11.1 times per game. Only Eric Bledsoe (11.7), Isaiah Thomas (11.7), DeMar DeRozan (11.6) and Ish Smith (11.1) did it more — but nobody did it more often on a per-minute basis than Teague, who averaged one drive every 2.6 minutes. George Hill ranked No. 100 at 3.7 drives per game (one every 9.2 minutes).

After landing a point guard with the acquisition of one local product for another  — Teague went to Pike, Hill to Broad Ripple and IUPUI  — Bird now can try to use the draft Thursday  to address the team’s other position of need: power forward, preferably one who can shoot with range. Since last year Bird has wanted the Pacers to play smaller, faster, copying in this copycat league the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and others who capitalize on the efficiency of the 3-point shot.

Pacers links: Larry Bird swings and misses on Teague trade

Unless new coach Nate McMillan can convince him to do what former coach Frank Vogel could not, Paul George isn’t that power forward. With George the team’s small forward and Myles Turner at center, the Pacers need a four who can shoot 3-pointers to have a perimeter threat at all five positions.

History says it won’t be easy for the Pacers to find a starter-quality player at No. 20 overall, and maybe that player isn’t there at No. 20. But you know Larry Bird will do what he can to find that guy, whether in this draft or in free agency.

Bird isn’t always right — he could have had Jeff Teague in the 2009 draft, instead choosing Tyler Hansbrough — but he’d rather swing hard and miss than not swing at all. And he’s a demanding boss, expecting the playoffs two years ago despite Paul George’s injury and then deciding last season that 45 wins, the No. 7 playoff seed and a near-upset of No. 2 Toronto wasn’t enough to bring back Vogel.

Best and worst Pacers trades in history

Bird wants to win and he wants to do it in a hurry, given that Paul George can opt out of his contract in two years. George is too good, an NBA title too important for his legacy, to wait patiently in Indianapolis while the Pacers flounder about for answers.

Larry Bird isn’t floundering. He just made the Pacers demonstrably better, turning George Hill into Jeff Teague. It’s not exactly water to wine, but it still feels miraculous.

And felonious.

Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at@GreggDoyelStar or atwww.facebook.com/gregg.doyel.