Brandon Jennings comes up short against Kevin Durant in Drew / Goodman League showdown

by Frank Madden on Aug 22, 2011 12:13 AM CDT in News

Washington Post: D.C.'s Goodman League downs L.A.'s Drew League 135-134
The only NBA player making more headlines over the summer than Brandon Jennings is Kevin Durant, so it's probably fitting that it would be Durant (44 points) who led his Goodman League team featuring John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins to a home court victory over Jennings' Drew League squad that also included James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, and JaVale McGee. Jennings (team-high 38 points) took over the game in the third with a flurry of slashes to the hoop, but he also came up short on a contested three in the closing seconds after Durant's free throw gave the East Coasters a one point edge. Brandon trying to play hero-ball in the final seconds of an exhibition? Shocking!

Jennings and Durant were tweeting about a possible rematch within hours of the final horn, and word is the Drew team could be bringing in reinforcements if it happens--some dude named Kobe? Check out Brandon's highlights above, head over to the SBN mothership for the game's top ten plays, or pay to watch the whole game here.

Woelfel: Bucks' staff shrinking
Gery Woelfel reports that upwards of 20 Bucks employees have either left or been let go since the end of the season, providing further evidence of why the lockout stinks. (h/t We're Bucked)

Eurobasket: Chris Kaman and Dirk Nowitzki lead Germany past Ersan Ilyasova's Turkish squad in warmup
Warmups for next month's EuroBasket (aka the European Championships) continued over the weekend, with Turkey losing to host Germany (64-52) on the final day of the BEKO-Supercup in Bamberg. Kaman (16) and Nowitzki (14) combined for 30 points to lead Germany on Sunday, while Jazz lottery pick Enes Kanter led Turkey with 12 and Ilyasova added eight. Overall it was a disappointing weekend for Turkey, which was hammered by Greece on Friday (62-38) before squeaking by Belgium (66-60) on Saturday. Ilyasova scored 11 against the Belgians, including eight straight down the stretch, 24 hours after posting nine against the Greeks. Nobody seems to have box scores for these games, otherwise I'd offer a bit more detail. Turkey opens EuroBasket group play on August 31.

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Comments

I attended this game

The defense in this game was minimal except for highlights like blocks and steals, not of that LRMAM solid defense. I’m worried that Jennings is spending improving his flashy image more than improving his NBA game. He still drove the lane weak and threw a tantrum for calls every time he missed a lay-up. His distributing looked better tho with a more athletic team.

by FearTheDeer on Aug 22, 2011 8:06 AM CDT reply actions

Do you think we'll ever have a team like that under Skiles?

My impression of a Skiles guy is an aging, unknown veteran that is below the rim at all costs. We seem to be collecting dudes who can’t finish an alley oop.

by MadTown Hoops on Aug 24, 2011 12:20 AM CDT up reply actions

Note to editor

You guys never have anything good to say about Brandon Jennings and frankly you don’t even deserve to have him on your team. Brandon is a great passer its just that your offense sucks and he has no choice but to try and score alot of points. I hope he can make his way to the lakers one day .

by Peter Berry on Aug 22, 2011 9:00 AM CDT reply actions

I will be happy to take blame for not having much good to say about Jennings, but I think it's fair to ask if we have been honest about his performance.

Are there any instances in which you think our commentary has been discordant with his level of play? In other words, do you believe he has justified a higher level of praise with his play? I think the basis of my criticism has been pretty clear over time: he is one of the least efficient players in the NBA…he takes a lot of shots and uses a lot of possessions, but he scores less points per possession than the vast majority of his NBA peers.

Saying he had to take the lead role on offense doesn’t excuse the fact that when he did take the lead role the Bucks were the worst offense in the NBA and he was one of the least efficient lead players in the entire NBA. The name of the game is outscoring your opponents (ie- scoring more points than the opposing team using the same number of possessions [because possessions alternate])…it’s hard to see how Jennings has been worthy of more praise at this point in his career.

If he gets better, he will get more praise. I try to be as fair as a can, but never at the expense of honest player evaluation.

"Don't worry, I've got an idea. An idea so smart my head would explode if I even began to know what I was talking about..."

by Steve von Horn on Aug 22, 2011 9:16 AM CDT up reply actions

I understand he hasn't played too well but

You even nit-pick at him for what he does in these street ball games. Seemingly everything is a backhanded compliment even with things that are clearly unimportant….like even here you said "Brandon trying to play hero-ball in the final seconds of an exhibition? Shocking! " lol like damn its just an exhibition game hes’ supposed to do things like that, street ball is all about showmanship and entertainment. And you guys also say things like this “Josh Selby apparently scored 48 against Jennings in this game, so…yeah. I haven’t seen anything in terms of Jennings’ point total, but recall that Selby was a second round pick who struggled at Kansas last year after a highly-touted prep career.” like Selby was a high school phenom and had it not been for the suspension and injury he probably would have been a lottery pick, but you guys made it seem like Brandon got destroyed by some no-name scrub with marginal talent, but in actuality I’d venture to say that no one could guard Selby in that sort of environment (low defense, relatively low competition level) so there was really no need for that comment, its a shot towards Brandon Jennings…I’ve seen alot of things like those two comments here…No one could argue that brandon has been a largely inefficient scorer and player, but it seems like you guys go out of your way to take shots at him

by Peter Berry on Aug 22, 2011 11:24 PM CDT up reply actions

I most of the perceived shots at Jennings you mentioned are more shots at the rec leagues themselves. They simply aren't a forum from which to draw any meaningful conclusions about NBA players.

For example, the fact that Selby has been such a high scorer (leaving aside the issue that apparently scores are often in the 140s) is a perfect way to highlight just how unreliable any statistics are from the blurbs we get from these leagues…because Selby hasn’t shown anything beyond high school to suggest he is any good, and every team in the NBA passed on him at least once because they thought so too. In fact, you even make mention of how bad of a basketball environment these leagues are, referring to “that sort of environment (low defense, relatively low competition level).”

All this being said, I certainly try to avoid going after Jennings for no reason, but I hope any criticisms we have made have ultimately been connected to his play on the Bucks…which is why Frank made the nod to Jennings’ desire to take the last shot. It’s not something we pull out of thin air, we’ve seen this thing for two years now. Even then, we often still try to be fair. Here is a section from my column on Beno Udrih a few weeks ago where I talk about Jennings’ poor performance in clutch situations:

Here are his clutch numbers (expressed in a per 48 minutes of clutch time format) for this past season, with “clutch” being defined as 4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points:

Team Player SAC Udrih
Gm 47
Min 171
+/- 48
+/ -14
Fga 10.1
Fg% .389
3pA 3.4
3p% .250
Fta 7.6
Ft% 88%
Pts 15.5
Ast’d 50%
Reb 4.2
Ast 5.6
T/o 2.0
Blk 0.3
Stl 1.4

Although the FG% doesn’t look too good, here are the PGs who shot a worse FG% in at least 75 minutes of clutch play last season (in descending order below Beno): Devin Harris Rodney Stuckey, Steve Nash, Kyle Lowry, Jordan Farmar, Ty Lawson, John Wall, Rajon Rondo, Jamal Crawford, DJ Augustin, Raymond Felton, Lou Williams, Derrick Fisher, Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans, Jose Calderon, and Luke Ridnour. Now take a look at Jennings’ specific numbers for the sake of direct comparison.

Team Player MIL Jennings
Gm 36
Min 141
+/- 1
+/- +0
Fga 24.2
Fg% .310
3pA 7.5
3p% .227
Fta 14.0
Ft% 87%
Pts 29.0
Ast’d 40%
Reb 6.5
Ast 2.7
T/o 2.7
Blk 1.0
Stl 1.7

Beno outperforms Jennings in just about every listed category, but Jennings owns the advantage on both raw statistical +/- and adjusted statistical +/- in the clutch. Although it is dangerous to extrapolate such a small sample into +/- ratings that often require years worth of data to become reliable, and a disparity in the quality of teammates undoubtedly comes into play as well, we can still see that Jennings always kept his team in the game while Beno couldn’t prevent his teammates from pulling the whole squad down in close contests

"Don't worry, I've got an idea. An idea so smart my head would explode if I even began to know what I was talking about..."

by Steve von Horn on Aug 23, 2011 12:00 AM CDT up reply actions

Obvious correction:I [think] most

"Don't worry, I've got an idea. An idea so smart my head would explode if I even began to know what I was talking about..."

by Steve von Horn on Aug 23, 2011 12:01 AM CDT up reply actions

And for the purposes of our conversation, the end game attempts per 48, FGa

…is what tells the story along with the assist and shooting percentages.

As you can see, of course we aren’t shocked that Jennings shot in the clutch and didn’t come through

"Don't worry, I've got an idea. An idea so smart my head would explode if I even began to know what I was talking about..."

by Steve von Horn on Aug 23, 2011 7:37 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Great? Not yet he ain't...

He gets criticism because his play has warranted it. Young players have a lot to learn. Most here are waiting to see just how up his upside is. I think he’s got the hunger and the mindset to be very good. We’ll see if his skills match the ego.

Lakers? Why not? If the Bucks don’t get it together (we for a year thought we were then came a bad last season) Brandon will likely want to play on one of the coasts. If we do challenge and contend, he may enjoy being a central part in that.

Time will tell.

by unklchuk on Aug 22, 2011 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions

I will add that we have said many good things about Jennings, and I have hardly ever felt more excited about basketball than when he lets me write nice things about him, like this:

He bursted with channeled enthusiasm for the game of basketball tonight, looking like the most excited guy in pregame introductions, and then directing an offense that owes him a thank you card signed by all. As a game manager, this was about as good as a 21 year-old can get.

I would just like to write that more often.

BrewHoop.com

by Alex Boeder on Aug 22, 2011 1:38 PM CDT up reply actions

I was considering honoring your post with a well thought out response, but then I saw that your existence begins and ends at these 2 posts on Brewhoop. We have little good to say about Brandon because he hasn’t done anything of note yet in two seasons. I have little good to say about you because you are just another no good Lakers Troll.

by MadTown Hoops on Aug 24, 2011 12:27 AM CDT up reply actions

Brandon Jennings is definitely a key player and he does a great deal of helpful things for his team. Although the majority seems to be against him, he is enthusiastic, excited, and one of the best players on the team.

Halloween World

by leechb60 on Aug 22, 2011 10:23 PM CDT reply actions

I wouldn't say against him...

His success would be great for the Bucks, and I want him to be a great player for that reason. For me, I’m unsure what there is to cheer about in his game at this point. There is no doubt he is a key player. In fact, his energy and enthusiasm are undeniable, but when it comes to winning basketball games and being better than his PG peers, what do you see that he does that makes him good?

I’m open to talk it out, and will keep an open mind so let it fly.

"Don't worry, I've got an idea. An idea so smart my head would explode if I even began to know what I was talking about..."

by Steve von Horn on Aug 22, 2011 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions

It's a matter of consistency for me

Some nights Brandon’s spectacular, and I think that’s why so many people think highly of him. His best games stack up against with the league’s best. No argument about him being one of the best players on the team—Bogut’s the only guy I would put as clearly ahead of him.

So can he be a good passer? A good scorer? The reality is that the numbers overall don’t show it so far, quite the oppsite. You can’t be a scorer and shoot under 40%, and you can’t claim to be a great passing PG if you average less than 5 apg. Granted that I’m oversimplifying what it means to be a good PG, but if you’re trying to define Brandon’s game then that’s where I’d start.

www.BrewHoop.com

by Frank Madden on Aug 22, 2011 10:49 PM CDT up reply actions

I'll chime in as a usual pro-Jennings guy

The people on this site(save a couple)are fair with Jennings and I think the lack of progression in his game this season frustrated a lot of people. Most of us are willing to give him another year to develop I think and would love to see him be the star he might be as his enthusiasm seems to be unbounded at times and I think he would be great as a “poster boy” for the Bucks. In terms of clutch I remember the Orlando overtime game where he was money toward the end of regulation and kept us in a game we had no business being in. On the flip side I recall the Charlotte game which was the final nail in the coffin so to speak when he missed everything. I hope this season is the step that Jennings needs, when he takes the next rung to being a really good/great/superstar player.

"He always plays like he's a pit bull that hasn't been fed in about a year and that you've got pork chops in your pockets and that's the basketball." Of course, he's Canadian

by CanadaBucks on Aug 23, 2011 6:38 PM CDT reply actions

I'm a little surprised his clutch stats aren't better

Just based on my gut, I feel like Brandon’s made a ton of big shots in his first two years, but obviously the numbers are what they are. As much as I consider myself a “realist” about Brandon’s abilities and accomplishments to date, the fact that he’s not afraid to take big shots is a big plus IMO, and to be honest in last possession situations I don’t think his shoot-first mentality is as big of an issue. Afterall, it’s not like the Bucks have great “closers,” and Brandon for all his struggles to consistently make shots hits a decent share of tough shots. My bigger issue is with the step-back 20 footers in the second quarter with 16 seconds on the shot clock.

www.BrewHoop.com

by Frank Madden on Aug 23, 2011 7:06 PM CDT up reply actions

If you force the clutch shot every time, you are bound to make a few. My issues with BJ at this point have little and less to do with his abilities and everything to do with the fact that his mindset does not click with the team. Even worse, his mindset can’t work with his physical skill set. He’s not Kobe and he never will be. It’s unfortunate the NBA is so rigid, but at his size he cannot play the way he does and ever expect success. If Jennings has good court vision, he is the only player on the court he sees. I know I’m tirading, but Jennings belongs on the Globetrotters, not the Milwaukee Bucks.

by MadTown Hoops on Aug 24, 2011 12:16 AM CDT up reply actions

Are Drew/Goodman Leagues better than the NBA?

In the end, each sports league is a part of the entertainment industry. If you drain a sport to it’s essence, wring out the tradition and localism and all the stuff that the old timers dwell on, the reason we come back is to see a good show. As important as defense is to success, you won’t see a stop on Sportscenter. Without the NBA providing it’s usual orthodox fare, fans and entrepreneurs are gravitating to what they want to see. These offensive showdowns are a blast for everyone and proof that with reliable coverage alternate basketball venues are viable. Could the NBA actually be worse at it’s job than these upstart leagues? I think this summer is proving that the NBA’s monopoly is a paper tiger. Given the resources and attention a rival league could bring the NBA down.

by MadTown Hoops on Aug 24, 2011 12:06 AM CDT reply actions

It's an interesting concept

As a counterpoint, I’d argue that a big part of the entertaining style is driven by the lack of team organization/coaching, money and winning at stake. I know these guys want to win for their own pride’s sake, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter—their legacy and bank accounts aren’t riding on the final score. If you actually got to the point where there was a lot of money at stake and guys’ performances impacted how people viewed their careers, then I think you’d necessarily see the game look a lot more like the NBA. And if guys actually practiced together and had proper coaching it would go a long way to improving defense as well.

So in the end I think it’s all about incentives—if you pay people to win games, then you get something like the NBA; if you pay people to dunk and make highlight reel plays, then you get the And1 streetball stuff.

www.BrewHoop.com

by Frank Madden on Aug 24, 2011 8:17 AM CDT up reply actions