Folks- B-Jennings looks great while Hill is on the bench
- Thread starter mafra
- Start date
TheChosen1
Benchwarmer
What a performance by Brandon Jennings. You have to give credit where its due. Brandon basically said you screwed up to all the teams that passed on him in the draft, especially us. I agree with most of the posters here about drafting a PG. We can't emphasize it more that having a PG is so crucial in this system. Duhon is garbage. He can't run this team or work in this system. I really wish we could have picked up Jennings or Lawson.
I mean im not disappointed with picking Douglas, but come on he's a another Nate. Let's call it like it is, he's a undersized SG. I mean i know Donnie Walsh has a plan that he's following. But why not pick up the important pieces needed to get a Big Superstar player in 2010. Yeah i see all the Top Free-agents lining up just to play in NY (sarcasm). I honestly think we're screwed unless Donnie starts working on some trades and getting picks in the next draft or we're screwed for another 10 years. It sucks watching this Franchise be as shitty as it is. Come on, us NY Knicks fans need something to cheer about. It's still early, find a way to turn this around.
I mean im not disappointed with picking Douglas, but come on he's a another Nate. Let's call it like it is, he's a undersized SG. I mean i know Donnie Walsh has a plan that he's following. But why not pick up the important pieces needed to get a Big Superstar player in 2010. Yeah i see all the Top Free-agents lining up just to play in NY (sarcasm). I honestly think we're screwed unless Donnie starts working on some trades and getting picks in the next draft or we're screwed for another 10 years. It sucks watching this Franchise be as shitty as it is. Come on, us NY Knicks fans need something to cheer about. It's still early, find a way to turn this around.
mafra
Legend
Knicks had to get it right, and didn't
10:26 AM By Alan Hahn
http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/the-knicks-fix-1.812055
Now to see what Jordan Hill is really made of.
Mike D'Antoni threw the rookie into the second half of Friday's game to get a look and Hill brought some energy with eight points in 8:55 of the third quarter along with four fouls. And while D'Antoni afterward spoke with very subdued appreciation for what the rookie project showed in his small window of opportunity -- "He does some things that are good," D'Antoni said. "He still has a lot to learn. I'd like to keep playing him and see what happens" -- at least there was reason to believe Hill might get the chance now to play more and prove his standing as the franchise's choice at No. 8 overall.
Then Brandon Jennings happened on Saturday.
Not much Hill will be able to do to top a 55-point performance by a lightning-quick guard the Knicks passed on at No. 8. Jordan still hasn't entirely convinced D'Antoni to play him over Jared Jeffries.
But if Hill has any pride in himself as a player, he has to be telling himself this morning, with three practices before the next game, that it's time he stops accepting the very easy role of "the project." Otherwise, he'll be hearing the name Brandon Jennings and the term "Bust" all too often this season, if not throughout his Knicks career.
No one is saying Hill isn't putting in the work he needs to put in. He spends a great deal of time with assistant coach Herb Williams before games and does extensive work before and after practices. What you want to see develop as much as his skill is his determination. As he puts back a rebound, have him opt to yank one and say, "I got your Brandon Jennings right here!"
But does he have that in him?
From the first practice in Vegas in July, it seemed clear Hill had a long way to go as an NBA player. He admitted he wasn't in the best shape -- that had to set off an alarm within the Knicks organization -- and for a 6-10 forward/center touted for his athleticism and length, he played so noticably below the rim. It didn't get any better when training camp opened in September.
We'll have the next three years to analyze Hill's game. It's only fair to allow him time to develop. After all, it wasn't his call to draft him No. 8. But it is up to him to do all he can to live up to the lofty expectations that come with a lottery pick.
Meanwhile, Donnie Walsh and his staff had to get this draft pick right. Not only because of how valuable a lottery pick can be to a rebuilding franchise, but because the team doesn't have a first round pick in2010. Every criteria had to be exhausted when considering all of the draft candidates at No. 8 and that includes character.
A kid that shows up at his first NBA Summer League admittedly not in great shape, to me, shows major character flaws. How much does he want it? How much does he care?
There are two kinds of players in the NBA: those who love basketball and those who love the life. One goes to the gym at night and puts up shots. The other goes to the club and puts down shots and sweats.
You feel me?
With the No. 8 pick in the draft, you try your best to get the first kind. Or at least one who has the tendencies to be the first kind.
So the fair criticism right now is to analyze the decision the Knicks made to take the not-yet-ready Hill and leave Jennings and Ty Lawson, two dynamic guards, on the board.
Let's agree that, aside from winning the No. 1 pick to draft Blake Griffin, the Knicks headed into this draft with a critical need at the point guard position (and we're seeing right now that was definitely the case). Sure, Hill may have been drafted as insurance for David Lee, who was heading into restricted free agency and could have been lost to an offer sheet. But couldn't they have done that by buying a pick later in the draft (as they did when they got Toney Douglas)?
Walsh explained last week that he "didn't have a good feel" for Jennings' game, which is somewhat understandable because of how little that could be judged from Jennings' limited minutes in Italy last season. But while the team's European scout, Kevin Wilson, was loudly promoting Ricky Rubio, there clearly there were stones to unturn regarding Jennings.
And where are the other scouts who should have been aware of Jennings even before he left for Europe? Was there enough of a debate in the War Room that night as the Knicks were on the clock and had gotten over losing Stephen Curry to the Warriors?
Curry topped the list and, despite his mercurial start with Dysfunction State, would have been the best fit. Tyreke Evans was also high on the list, I'm told, and yet it's interesting that Jennings had his pre-draft workout for the Knicks against the much bigger Evans and, from what I've heard, he really took it to Evans. I remember Jennings walking out of the gym feeling very confident in himself that day.
"I thought I showed them enough in the workout," Jennings told us last week in Milwaukee. "One-on-one drills, pushing the ball up the court, beating everybody down the floor, playing defense and things like that. I thought I showed what I learned over in Europe . . . maybe it wasn't enough."
The Knicks were still concerned with his size, at 6-1 and 169-pounds and, coming off a season in which Knick guards couldn't guard anyone, there was the thought that Jennings would be physically overwhelmed against bigger, stronger guards. But, really, that would be the same issue for Curry, too.
Lawson, the Carolina product who we touted here at the Fix as early as the 2008 draft, was also up at the MSG Training Center in June for a pre-draft workout. Walsh really liked Lawson but, again, size (5-11, 195) was a major issue. And the other question was whether Lawson was a top 10 pick. Almost everyone had him projected in the teens and that's exactly where he went. Denver traded an unprotected 2014 first-rounder to land him from Minnesota, which took him at No. 18.
Lawson is clearly one of the fastest guards in the league with the dribble and, as we saw in this amazing clip against the Lakers last week, certainly has some amazing explosion. Nate Robinson is the small man's dunk king, but he's never banged it on a team like that.
Lawson, of course, has stepped into a very ideal situation for a rookie guard. He can play behind a solid veteran in Chauncey Billups on a talented team that is already established and shooting for a championship. There isn't a great deal of pressure on Lawson to step in right away and be a factor. But to his credit, he showed up ready to do so, anyway.
Douglas has played well enough to at least keep the 2009 draft from being a total disaster so far for the Knicks. But while Douglas has shown he can score and defend, he doesn't quite have the instincts to be a floor-general type of point guard you need in the D'Antoni system (Douglas wasn't a playmaker in college, either). Jennings is obviously scoring a lot, sure, but his game also includes the assist dimension.
One way Walsh can still salvage something from the '09 draft is to get back in touch with David Kahn, who obviously needs to eventually make a decision on what to do with Ricky Rubio. Though Rubio's contract won't allow him to leave for the NBA until 2012, things could always be worked out if he somehow became property of the New York franchise.
===================
Walsh is like Al Davis- he puts more stock in physical attributes than actual GAME. Give me a guy who plays the part over a guy who looks the part!
10:26 AM By Alan Hahn
http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/the-knicks-fix-1.812055
Now to see what Jordan Hill is really made of.
Mike D'Antoni threw the rookie into the second half of Friday's game to get a look and Hill brought some energy with eight points in 8:55 of the third quarter along with four fouls. And while D'Antoni afterward spoke with very subdued appreciation for what the rookie project showed in his small window of opportunity -- "He does some things that are good," D'Antoni said. "He still has a lot to learn. I'd like to keep playing him and see what happens" -- at least there was reason to believe Hill might get the chance now to play more and prove his standing as the franchise's choice at No. 8 overall.
Then Brandon Jennings happened on Saturday.
Not much Hill will be able to do to top a 55-point performance by a lightning-quick guard the Knicks passed on at No. 8. Jordan still hasn't entirely convinced D'Antoni to play him over Jared Jeffries.
But if Hill has any pride in himself as a player, he has to be telling himself this morning, with three practices before the next game, that it's time he stops accepting the very easy role of "the project." Otherwise, he'll be hearing the name Brandon Jennings and the term "Bust" all too often this season, if not throughout his Knicks career.
No one is saying Hill isn't putting in the work he needs to put in. He spends a great deal of time with assistant coach Herb Williams before games and does extensive work before and after practices. What you want to see develop as much as his skill is his determination. As he puts back a rebound, have him opt to yank one and say, "I got your Brandon Jennings right here!"
But does he have that in him?
From the first practice in Vegas in July, it seemed clear Hill had a long way to go as an NBA player. He admitted he wasn't in the best shape -- that had to set off an alarm within the Knicks organization -- and for a 6-10 forward/center touted for his athleticism and length, he played so noticably below the rim. It didn't get any better when training camp opened in September.
We'll have the next three years to analyze Hill's game. It's only fair to allow him time to develop. After all, it wasn't his call to draft him No. 8. But it is up to him to do all he can to live up to the lofty expectations that come with a lottery pick.
Meanwhile, Donnie Walsh and his staff had to get this draft pick right. Not only because of how valuable a lottery pick can be to a rebuilding franchise, but because the team doesn't have a first round pick in2010. Every criteria had to be exhausted when considering all of the draft candidates at No. 8 and that includes character.
A kid that shows up at his first NBA Summer League admittedly not in great shape, to me, shows major character flaws. How much does he want it? How much does he care?
There are two kinds of players in the NBA: those who love basketball and those who love the life. One goes to the gym at night and puts up shots. The other goes to the club and puts down shots and sweats.
You feel me?
With the No. 8 pick in the draft, you try your best to get the first kind. Or at least one who has the tendencies to be the first kind.
So the fair criticism right now is to analyze the decision the Knicks made to take the not-yet-ready Hill and leave Jennings and Ty Lawson, two dynamic guards, on the board.
Let's agree that, aside from winning the No. 1 pick to draft Blake Griffin, the Knicks headed into this draft with a critical need at the point guard position (and we're seeing right now that was definitely the case). Sure, Hill may have been drafted as insurance for David Lee, who was heading into restricted free agency and could have been lost to an offer sheet. But couldn't they have done that by buying a pick later in the draft (as they did when they got Toney Douglas)?
Walsh explained last week that he "didn't have a good feel" for Jennings' game, which is somewhat understandable because of how little that could be judged from Jennings' limited minutes in Italy last season. But while the team's European scout, Kevin Wilson, was loudly promoting Ricky Rubio, there clearly there were stones to unturn regarding Jennings.
And where are the other scouts who should have been aware of Jennings even before he left for Europe? Was there enough of a debate in the War Room that night as the Knicks were on the clock and had gotten over losing Stephen Curry to the Warriors?
Curry topped the list and, despite his mercurial start with Dysfunction State, would have been the best fit. Tyreke Evans was also high on the list, I'm told, and yet it's interesting that Jennings had his pre-draft workout for the Knicks against the much bigger Evans and, from what I've heard, he really took it to Evans. I remember Jennings walking out of the gym feeling very confident in himself that day.
"I thought I showed them enough in the workout," Jennings told us last week in Milwaukee. "One-on-one drills, pushing the ball up the court, beating everybody down the floor, playing defense and things like that. I thought I showed what I learned over in Europe . . . maybe it wasn't enough."
The Knicks were still concerned with his size, at 6-1 and 169-pounds and, coming off a season in which Knick guards couldn't guard anyone, there was the thought that Jennings would be physically overwhelmed against bigger, stronger guards. But, really, that would be the same issue for Curry, too.
Lawson, the Carolina product who we touted here at the Fix as early as the 2008 draft, was also up at the MSG Training Center in June for a pre-draft workout. Walsh really liked Lawson but, again, size (5-11, 195) was a major issue. And the other question was whether Lawson was a top 10 pick. Almost everyone had him projected in the teens and that's exactly where he went. Denver traded an unprotected 2014 first-rounder to land him from Minnesota, which took him at No. 18.
Lawson is clearly one of the fastest guards in the league with the dribble and, as we saw in this amazing clip against the Lakers last week, certainly has some amazing explosion. Nate Robinson is the small man's dunk king, but he's never banged it on a team like that.
Lawson, of course, has stepped into a very ideal situation for a rookie guard. He can play behind a solid veteran in Chauncey Billups on a talented team that is already established and shooting for a championship. There isn't a great deal of pressure on Lawson to step in right away and be a factor. But to his credit, he showed up ready to do so, anyway.
Douglas has played well enough to at least keep the 2009 draft from being a total disaster so far for the Knicks. But while Douglas has shown he can score and defend, he doesn't quite have the instincts to be a floor-general type of point guard you need in the D'Antoni system (Douglas wasn't a playmaker in college, either). Jennings is obviously scoring a lot, sure, but his game also includes the assist dimension.
One way Walsh can still salvage something from the '09 draft is to get back in touch with David Kahn, who obviously needs to eventually make a decision on what to do with Ricky Rubio. Though Rubio's contract won't allow him to leave for the NBA until 2012, things could always be worked out if he somehow became property of the New York franchise.
===================
Walsh is like Al Davis- he puts more stock in physical attributes than actual GAME. Give me a guy who plays the part over a guy who looks the part!
the portable man
Benchwarmer
wow it doesnt get any worse than this
it wouldve been amazing to watch knicks with jennings @ PG
a backcourt of Jennings, Robinson @ SG, and Gallo wouldve been pure entertainment
it wouldve been amazing to watch knicks with jennings @ PG
a backcourt of Jennings, Robinson @ SG, and Gallo wouldve been pure entertainment
mafra
Legend
Jennings looks great RIGHT NOW. I mean, he's like 8th in the NBA in ppg. WOW. BUT, after watching him last night against the Mavs.... He takes some terrible shots. He's basically being allowed (in MIL by Skiles) to go 1-on-1... Sure ha gets his assists and all. BUT, I question how long he can stand up.
I MEAN, he is TINY. Very small. Will he hold up to an 81 game season? What about his body in 3 years? Would he be able to play 2nd fiddle (to a Lebron)?
SO, while it would be fun to watch him in NY. I do admit, he would be PERFECT duo for Danillo. Gallinari and Jennings would be a BRIGHT FUTURE. BUT, again.... that pair wouldn't bring us a title. Just a PHO type run and some electric offense.
I still hold out hope for Hill. Last year I would have taken Gordon over Danillo. If I were drafting today, I would select Gallinari. Let's just hope the disparity between Hill and Jennings in 2-3 years isn't as great as it is right now.
What I love most about BJ is the fact he's a lefty. People are naturally-inclined to guard people to their right. Lefties are hard to stop!
Red
TYPE-A
O.k. you stupid motherf*ckers!!!!!
Guess what... Jennings dropped 50 a few days back, he wouldn't have logged 50 minutes on our team! WITH THESE CLUELESS COCKSU*KING MOTHERF*CKERS!!!! I give up - f*ck D'Antoni, I won't blame Walsh yet b/c remember "He's getting the players D'Antoni wants! I'll admit Hill isn't as bad as I thought but... I thought this system "NEEDS" A pg to run correctly, I thought we looked at: Curry, Rubio and EVEN Jennings and you f*cking pass on him and Lawson for what? Hill? Well I know we needed a big but I wasn't refering to David F*CKING Lee, and for sure wasn't saying sacrafice a good enough PG (for your system that needs a PG) for PROJECT HILL. Are you aware we have no pick next year? What the f*ck is D'Antoni and Walsh doing. I'm loosing patience w/ these 2 C*cksuckers!!!! Walsh- f*ck this N*gga D'Antoni- you better make shit happen This F*cking Year or get the F*ck outta here you old white clueless bastards!!! C'MON MAN!!!!!
Guess what... Jennings dropped 50 a few days back, he wouldn't have logged 50 minutes on our team! WITH THESE CLUELESS COCKSU*KING MOTHERF*CKERS!!!! I give up - f*ck D'Antoni, I won't blame Walsh yet b/c remember "He's getting the players D'Antoni wants! I'll admit Hill isn't as bad as I thought but... I thought this system "NEEDS" A pg to run correctly, I thought we looked at: Curry, Rubio and EVEN Jennings and you f*cking pass on him and Lawson for what? Hill? Well I know we needed a big but I wasn't refering to David F*CKING Lee, and for sure wasn't saying sacrafice a good enough PG (for your system that needs a PG) for PROJECT HILL. Are you aware we have no pick next year? What the f*ck is D'Antoni and Walsh doing. I'm loosing patience w/ these 2 C*cksuckers!!!! Walsh- f*ck this N*gga D'Antoni- you better make shit happen This F*cking Year or get the F*ck outta here you old white clueless bastards!!! C'MON MAN!!!!!
dre48ny
Rotation player
pretty jaw dropping when there was such a deep PG draft and we were in need of one so urgently! Duhon was getting tired, plus he's not elite. We were all convinced we would get a PG, but we got a project. Hope he's not a bust.
Looks like Jennings is for real and we will live with that for a looooooooong time.
Looks like Jennings is for real and we will live with that for a looooooooong time.
mafra
Legend
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-bucks-thejenningseffect&prov=ap&type=lgns
Bucks? Jennings starts career with flourish
By COLIN FLY, AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP)?Rookie Brandon Jennings(notes) had an out-of-the-blue question for the injured Michael Redd(notes) during a recent practice.
??Mike, what?s your career high??? said Redd, who scored 57 points against Utah back in 2006. ?He was like, ?Dang, how?d you do that?? and I said, ?Man, you just got to be on.??
Two days later, Jennings put up 55 points in a win against the Warriors, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 in a game. The prep star who went to Europe has come home to the US and he has certainly been on for the young Bucks.
Jennings is averaging 24.8 points and has double figures in eight of nine games through Wednesday, an extraordinary start for any player in the NBA. You would think Bucks general manager John Hammond would be all smiles, but he is worried about the 20-year-old budding star.
Hammond?s concern? It may be too much, too soon, too fast for the 10th pick in this year?s draft who is a bona fide rookie of the year candidate less than a month into the season.
In this blue-collar town, the NBA plays third fiddle behind the NFL?s Green Bay Packers and the MLB?s Milwaukee Brewers, who are having their own renaissance with a playoff berth last year.
The Bucks play to sparse crowds in an arena meant for an NHL team that never came and opened before Jennings was born. If the NBA plans to stay in Milwaukee, the Bradley Center must be replaced and fans must come back to support a franchise that?s finished dead last in the Central Division every year since the most recent realignment. Its 74-year-old owner, Sen. Herb Kohl, pumps millions into the team to help keep them afloat.
To Hammond, that?s a load for any player to bear, much less a rookie.
?The pressure that all of a sudden falls on a young kid?s shoulders in his first year in the league, talking about saving a franchise or needing a new arena, that?s not fair for him this early,? Hammond said.
For his part, Jennings is used to the pressure of expectations. He left Los Angeles three years ago to go to prep powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., and was one of the top high school recruits. But he struggled to qualify for college and instead signed a contract with Italy?s Lottomatica Virtus Roma.
Europe wasn?t much fun for the lefty used to making playground passes and running a flashy show. Twice-daily practices and long stretches on the bench helped him mature. Even so, he began falling on draft night and it looked like he had made a bad decision, costing him thousands of dollars each time another name was called that wasn?t his.
?Everything that happened to the draft, not going to those teams that I thought were going to pick me up, I think I?m in a great situation right now,? said Jennings, who adds with a grin that his new city reminds him of Europe. ?The city of Milwaukee is laid back, and that?s what I need right now.?
The Bucks signed Jennings to a two-year contract worth almost $4.5 million in July. He made an awkward splash in his new home when an expletive-laced conversation ended up on YouTube, complete with derogatory comments about the Knicks, who passed on him in the draft, and the other two point guards on the team. Jennings quickly apologized.
Now he?s staying as quiet as he can.
Jennings typically gets to the arena about four hours before game time and works with assistant coach Kelvin Sampson on his jump shot nearly every day. Bucks coach Scott Skiles, a former point guard who holds the NBA?s single-game assists record, said Jennings has a lot to learn.
To Sampson, the way Jennings is being coached says a lot more about the respect Skiles has for his new point guard.
?Scott lets him play,? Sampson said. ?Whereas rookies go into situations where they get restricted because of the system. It shows you how good a coach Scott is, he?s recognized what Brandon?s good at and adjusted to him.?
Jennings has also shown surprising maturity?or restraint?off the court. He says he?s worried about a potential lockout at the end of next season, so much so that he bought a used car instead of the much more expensive SUVs that dot most NBA arena parking lots. He even likes to brag about the money he saved.
?A lot of these guys get a Mercedes or a Range Rover,? Sampson said. ?A lot of guys do stuff because of status, they think they?re supposed to drive a Mercedes. He bought a Ford Edge.?
Jennings also shunned moving downtown to take part in Milwaukee?s small, but active nightlife. Instead of buying a condo overlooking Lake Michigan, he?s living in a suburb less than a mile from the team?s practice facility.
Jennings? motivation to get better and be one of the NBA?s elite point guards took him across the country, overseas and now to the Midwest. He?s happy with his winding road, but said it isn?t for everyone. He said Europe paid off.
?My main goal is coming out here, making the playoffs, getting my teammates involved and trying to bring the winning back to Milwaukee,? Jennings said.
?We have to win. I?m going to do my part and I?m going to try and make sure the team does their part.?
And he?s got people watching out for him.
?The great thing is, I truly believe he?s not afraid, he?s not afraid for himself. He thinks he?s good enough and can do this and that?s most important,? said Hammond, the GM. ?We?ll worry about him. He just goes out and performs.?
Bucks? Jennings starts career with flourish
By COLIN FLY, AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP)?Rookie Brandon Jennings(notes) had an out-of-the-blue question for the injured Michael Redd(notes) during a recent practice.
??Mike, what?s your career high??? said Redd, who scored 57 points against Utah back in 2006. ?He was like, ?Dang, how?d you do that?? and I said, ?Man, you just got to be on.??
Two days later, Jennings put up 55 points in a win against the Warriors, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 in a game. The prep star who went to Europe has come home to the US and he has certainly been on for the young Bucks.
Jennings is averaging 24.8 points and has double figures in eight of nine games through Wednesday, an extraordinary start for any player in the NBA. You would think Bucks general manager John Hammond would be all smiles, but he is worried about the 20-year-old budding star.
Hammond?s concern? It may be too much, too soon, too fast for the 10th pick in this year?s draft who is a bona fide rookie of the year candidate less than a month into the season.
In this blue-collar town, the NBA plays third fiddle behind the NFL?s Green Bay Packers and the MLB?s Milwaukee Brewers, who are having their own renaissance with a playoff berth last year.
The Bucks play to sparse crowds in an arena meant for an NHL team that never came and opened before Jennings was born. If the NBA plans to stay in Milwaukee, the Bradley Center must be replaced and fans must come back to support a franchise that?s finished dead last in the Central Division every year since the most recent realignment. Its 74-year-old owner, Sen. Herb Kohl, pumps millions into the team to help keep them afloat.
To Hammond, that?s a load for any player to bear, much less a rookie.
?The pressure that all of a sudden falls on a young kid?s shoulders in his first year in the league, talking about saving a franchise or needing a new arena, that?s not fair for him this early,? Hammond said.
For his part, Jennings is used to the pressure of expectations. He left Los Angeles three years ago to go to prep powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., and was one of the top high school recruits. But he struggled to qualify for college and instead signed a contract with Italy?s Lottomatica Virtus Roma.
Europe wasn?t much fun for the lefty used to making playground passes and running a flashy show. Twice-daily practices and long stretches on the bench helped him mature. Even so, he began falling on draft night and it looked like he had made a bad decision, costing him thousands of dollars each time another name was called that wasn?t his.
?Everything that happened to the draft, not going to those teams that I thought were going to pick me up, I think I?m in a great situation right now,? said Jennings, who adds with a grin that his new city reminds him of Europe. ?The city of Milwaukee is laid back, and that?s what I need right now.?
The Bucks signed Jennings to a two-year contract worth almost $4.5 million in July. He made an awkward splash in his new home when an expletive-laced conversation ended up on YouTube, complete with derogatory comments about the Knicks, who passed on him in the draft, and the other two point guards on the team. Jennings quickly apologized.
Now he?s staying as quiet as he can.
Jennings typically gets to the arena about four hours before game time and works with assistant coach Kelvin Sampson on his jump shot nearly every day. Bucks coach Scott Skiles, a former point guard who holds the NBA?s single-game assists record, said Jennings has a lot to learn.
To Sampson, the way Jennings is being coached says a lot more about the respect Skiles has for his new point guard.
?Scott lets him play,? Sampson said. ?Whereas rookies go into situations where they get restricted because of the system. It shows you how good a coach Scott is, he?s recognized what Brandon?s good at and adjusted to him.?
Jennings has also shown surprising maturity?or restraint?off the court. He says he?s worried about a potential lockout at the end of next season, so much so that he bought a used car instead of the much more expensive SUVs that dot most NBA arena parking lots. He even likes to brag about the money he saved.
?A lot of these guys get a Mercedes or a Range Rover,? Sampson said. ?A lot of guys do stuff because of status, they think they?re supposed to drive a Mercedes. He bought a Ford Edge.?
Jennings also shunned moving downtown to take part in Milwaukee?s small, but active nightlife. Instead of buying a condo overlooking Lake Michigan, he?s living in a suburb less than a mile from the team?s practice facility.
Jennings? motivation to get better and be one of the NBA?s elite point guards took him across the country, overseas and now to the Midwest. He?s happy with his winding road, but said it isn?t for everyone. He said Europe paid off.
?My main goal is coming out here, making the playoffs, getting my teammates involved and trying to bring the winning back to Milwaukee,? Jennings said.
?We have to win. I?m going to do my part and I?m going to try and make sure the team does their part.?
And he?s got people watching out for him.
?The great thing is, I truly believe he?s not afraid, he?s not afraid for himself. He thinks he?s good enough and can do this and that?s most important,? said Hammond, the GM. ?We?ll worry about him. He just goes out and performs.?