duncan228
11-21-2009, 11:06 PM
Jennings at head of strong rookie class (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Jennings_at_head_of_strong_rookie_class.html)
Mike Monroe - Express-News
The surprising Bucks will be in town to play the Spurs tomorrow night, and if you're a true hoops fan, you'll want to be at the AT&T Center to see the game with your own eyes.
If Tony Parker's left ankle holds up, it will be an opportunity to see two point guards who have scored 55 points in a single game.
Such chances don't often occur.
Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings, who authored the most jaw-dropping game of the season when he scored 55 against the Warriors on Nov. 13, may be the most intriguing rookie to come into the league since LeBron James.
James was a phenomenon and a consensus star before playing a game in the NBA.
Jennings was such a wild card on draft night that eight teams passed on him before the Bucks made him the 10th selection of the first round.
Give Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh credit for admitting he blew it by passing on Jennings, who currently ranks No. 8 in the league in scoring (25.2 points per game) and No. 3 in 3-point field goal percentage (55.8 percent).
At least Walsh skipped over Jennings only once. He used the Knicks' first-round pick, No. 7, to take a big man, Arizona's Jordan Hill.
Minnesota GM David Kahn passed twice, and deemed two point guards, Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn, safer picks.
Jennings was a risk, all right. Much of the intrigue about Jennings relates to his path to the NBA. He passed on one season of college ball in favor of a year in the Italian League after graduating from Oak Hill Academy, the basketball factory/private high school in Mouth of Wilson, Va. When teams tried to line up workouts and interviews with him in the weeks before the draft, he reportedly was less than reliable in meeting appointments.
That cost him some guaranteed money, but it's ultimately apt to cost some GMs their job.
Aside from Jennings' emergence, what seems amazing about the latest draft class is how deep it looks just one month into its rookie season, especially at point guard.
Jennings clearly is the way-too-early front-runner for Rookie of the Year, but hardly a shoo-in.
For one thing, Blake Griffin is expected back on the court for the Clippers next month, and he showed during the preseason that he is capable of being an impact player, clearly the best big man in the draft class.
And to Kahn's relief, one of the two point guards he took ahead of Jennings has been a standout. Flynn is averaging 14.2 points and 3.3 assists.
Sacramento drafted Tyreke Evans as a point guard, but Kevin Martin's injury forced him over to the big-guard spot, which seems to have worked out well for him and the Kings. Evans' numbers — 17.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game — would look spectacular if you didn't have to compare them with Jennings' 25.2 points, 5.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
Four more point guards — Denver's Ty Lawson, Golden State's Stephen Curry, the Knicks' Toney Douglas and Utah's Eric Maynor — also have shown potential to be solid contributors.
With Griffin sidelined, Chicago's Taj Gibson and the Spurs' DeJuan Blair have a jump on all the other big men selected in June.
Mike Monroe - Express-News
The surprising Bucks will be in town to play the Spurs tomorrow night, and if you're a true hoops fan, you'll want to be at the AT&T Center to see the game with your own eyes.
If Tony Parker's left ankle holds up, it will be an opportunity to see two point guards who have scored 55 points in a single game.
Such chances don't often occur.
Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings, who authored the most jaw-dropping game of the season when he scored 55 against the Warriors on Nov. 13, may be the most intriguing rookie to come into the league since LeBron James.
James was a phenomenon and a consensus star before playing a game in the NBA.
Jennings was such a wild card on draft night that eight teams passed on him before the Bucks made him the 10th selection of the first round.
Give Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh credit for admitting he blew it by passing on Jennings, who currently ranks No. 8 in the league in scoring (25.2 points per game) and No. 3 in 3-point field goal percentage (55.8 percent).
At least Walsh skipped over Jennings only once. He used the Knicks' first-round pick, No. 7, to take a big man, Arizona's Jordan Hill.
Minnesota GM David Kahn passed twice, and deemed two point guards, Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn, safer picks.
Jennings was a risk, all right. Much of the intrigue about Jennings relates to his path to the NBA. He passed on one season of college ball in favor of a year in the Italian League after graduating from Oak Hill Academy, the basketball factory/private high school in Mouth of Wilson, Va. When teams tried to line up workouts and interviews with him in the weeks before the draft, he reportedly was less than reliable in meeting appointments.
That cost him some guaranteed money, but it's ultimately apt to cost some GMs their job.
Aside from Jennings' emergence, what seems amazing about the latest draft class is how deep it looks just one month into its rookie season, especially at point guard.
Jennings clearly is the way-too-early front-runner for Rookie of the Year, but hardly a shoo-in.
For one thing, Blake Griffin is expected back on the court for the Clippers next month, and he showed during the preseason that he is capable of being an impact player, clearly the best big man in the draft class.
And to Kahn's relief, one of the two point guards he took ahead of Jennings has been a standout. Flynn is averaging 14.2 points and 3.3 assists.
Sacramento drafted Tyreke Evans as a point guard, but Kevin Martin's injury forced him over to the big-guard spot, which seems to have worked out well for him and the Kings. Evans' numbers — 17.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game — would look spectacular if you didn't have to compare them with Jennings' 25.2 points, 5.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
Four more point guards — Denver's Ty Lawson, Golden State's Stephen Curry, the Knicks' Toney Douglas and Utah's Eric Maynor — also have shown potential to be solid contributors.
With Griffin sidelined, Chicago's Taj Gibson and the Spurs' DeJuan Blair have a jump on all the other big men selected in June.