New York Knicks Brandon Jennings Feeling Good
New York Knicks point guard Brandon Jennings is feeling good after an Achilles injury derailed him over the past two seasons.
The New York Knicks have had a very strong offseason, as Phil Jackson has filled plenty of holes on the roster. They have a formidable starting five and the second unit is rounding into shape. The man that will be leading that second unit is point guard Brandon Jennings.
The Knicks were able to snag Jennings with a one-year, $5 million deal, which is a steal compared to what other backup point guards were receiving this summer. Jennings wanted a one-year deal to prove himself, and has wanted to play for the Knicks for sometime, and the Knicks were in the market for a backup point guard so the two sides were finally a match.
Jennings is looking to rehab his value after an Achilles tear during the 2014-15 derailed his career. Jennings was looking like a premier point guard prior to the injury, as he ran the Detroit Pistons attack flawlessly and looked to be the point guard of the future with the Pistons. But, he then tore his Achilles and things changed in Detroit.
With Jennings sidelined, the Pistons needed point guard help and found it in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, acquiring Reggie Jackson. The Pistons lavished Jackson with a big contract last summer, making him their new point guard of the future.
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Jennings would return to the Pistons in December but no longer the starter. Instead he was coming off the bench and the results were not great. In addition to adapting to a new role, Jennings was shaking off the rust from his injury that sidelined him for 11 months.
Jennings was then traded to the Orlando Magic and his role became even less clear. The Magic already have their point guard in place in Elfrid Payton, and had C.J. Watson on the roster. That meant inconsistent playing time for Jennings, who finished the season with averages of 6.9 points, 3.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game, all career-lows.
As a result, Jennings market was virtually nonexistent. He entered the free agent market coming off a down year, and it resulted in little interest from teams around the league.
"“People only remember the last they’ve seen of you,’’ Jennings said of his low demand as a free agent. “The injury did kind of take a toll on me. Achilles, I was out for the whole year, came back midseason and I played pretty well a little bit, got traded. So it was all just up and down. I’m just happy for a fresh start.”“I definitely have a chip on my shoulder. I just want to prove that I’m back to who I am and that I can still play, I can still go and I’m healthy. The main thing is just showing people that I’m healthy, back and that I can still run a team.”"
Jennings was looking for a team that would give him that opportunity to increase his value again, and felt the Knicks would give that to him. He is looking forward to his opportunity with the Knicks, and is beginning to feel better as well.
“[The Achilles] feels good — it’s still a process though,’’ Jennings said. “I still have to get up every day, stretch it, make sure it’s good, but it’s still better than ever.”
There are some high expectations for Jennings with the Knicks, as Jackson believes that he could win the Sixth Man of the Year award. Shifting to a bench role is not something every player is capable of doing, as Jennings started every game he played in except three the first six years of his NBA career. But, he is ready for the new role with the second unit.
“When I talked to Phil, he said he expects me to be Sixth Man of the Year,’’ Jennings said at Friday’s free-agent press conference. “So I’m definitely going to embrace that role. I don’t see why I can’t be in that conversation and I’m fine with it.’’
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If Jennings is able to win the Sixth Man of the Year award, he will see his opportunities increase next offseason when he is set to become a free agent once again. That is a long time away though, so until then Jennings and the Knicks are hoping that he can adapt to his new role and make the most of this opportunity being given to him.