Chicago Bulls rookie Marquis Teague shows improvement vs. Celtics

Chicago Bulls rookie Marquis Teague played a career-high 18 minutes on Monday against the Boston Celtics. Since Kirk Hinrich was out with a hip injury, Teague was used more by coach Tom Thibodeau to counter the speedy attack of Rajon Rondo.

The Bulls' first-round selection in 2012 had not gotten much of a chance to shine thus far. But on Monday, Teague played tough defense against Rondo, called for the ball, and drove confidently to the rim. Teague played the entire fourth quarter, with the game on the line.

Although the Bulls came up short, his performance impressed teammates and opponents. Said forward Taj Gibson:

"The way he was just calling plays (impressed me). He didn't get fazed going against Rondo, understanding what he had to do against Rondo. He's only going to get better. This is like only his third game playing in a regular NBA game.

Still, Scott Powers at ESPNChicago.com recognizes that it wasn't a perfect night for the rookie:

His shot selection was questionable in a few instances, he was hesitant to shoot after a few misses and had one turnover, but his teammates believed he had taken a large step in his overall progress on the night.

As long as Hinrich is out with his hip injury, Nate Robinson and Teague can expect extra playing time at point guard. All three are filling in for Derrick Rose, who is out with a torn ACL.