New York Knicks point guard Brandon Jennings provided credence to Phil Jackson’s faith in him to earn Sixth Man of the Year honors.
It’s only preseason, and we didn’t even see point guard Brandon Jennings’ best during the New York Knicks preseason home opener. Though, it’s enough for satisfaction.
While point guard Derrick Rose dealt with his legal issues in Los Angeles, Jennings flashed, dashed and dished to his teammates as a decisive and at times, flashy ball distributor:
We like this 😃 #NYKvsBKN pic.twitter.com/tkQqDV05oQ
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 9, 2016
Center Marshall Plumlee, who’s a reluctant scorer benefitted from the starting point guard’s generous play on fast breaks. The Duke product scored his only points from the field on a Jennings’ assist, which led to an energizing dunk. The rookie center scored two more points at the free-throw line where he went 2-of-6.
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Jennings logged five assists in 14 minutes on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in front of an electric crowd. In addition to his crisp passes, he showed impressive ball-handling, despite three turnovers.
The eighth-year guard talked about his jitters after the game, but it didn’t seem that way while he shook Brooklyn Nets defenders on the court:
.@brandonjennings: “I just want everyone to get comfortable.” #NYKvsBKN #Knicks pic.twitter.com/69OF8sl64F
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 9, 2016
More importantly, he’s in tip-top shape after tearing his Achilles last year. He dropped 35 pounds during his recovery process, per ESPN’s Ian Begley:
Brandon Jennings weighed around 210 lbs while dealing with his Achillies injury & is now 175 lbs. Says he feels "fast like my rookie year."
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 9, 2016
Team president Phil Jackson saw something in the 27-year-old point guard before he stepped on the court when he set expectations at Sixth Man of the Year:
Brandon Jennings says Phil told him he expects Jennings to be Sixth Man of the Year. Jennings seems very comfortable with that projection.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 8, 2016
How quickly we forget Jennings ran the offense in a starting position for six seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. The former top-10 overall pick from the 2009 draft came into the league with much promise. After several injuries, he’s still worth fill-in duty if the starter isn’t available.
Of course, Jennings will come off the bench once Rose clears up his off-the-court matters. Nonetheless, the Knicks shouldn’t panic if their most coveted offseason acquisition misses a few games due to legal issues or injuries. As seen on Saturday night, the projected backup floor general can also run the offense and deliver dimes on the move.
On the other hand, Rose (16 PTS, 7-14 FG) logged a far better shooting percentage than Jennings on both nights. The hopeful Sixth Man of the Year has shot a combined 4-of-16 from the field through two games. He also boasts a paltry .350 career shooting percentage.
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For Jennings, his scoring efficiency isn’t a strong suit. However, with enough perimeter scorers and players capable of moving well without the ball, he’s a solid option without Rose on the court.
On a lighter note, did anyone see Jennings’ half-court shimmy shake? It speaks to his ability to handle Madison Square Garden’s grand stage. He’s 6’1”, 170 pounds, but he’s big enough to shine in the bright lights.