Is Brandon Jennings Changing Basketball
December 14, 2009
Kevin Roberts recently wrote an article that attempted to answer the question of is Brandon Jennings changing basketball? For those of you who don’t know, Brandon Jennings decided to head to Europe to play professional basketball instead of playing one year at the University of Arizona (some say he failed his SATs, so wasn’t going to be allowed to play anyway). Then last summer he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft.
It didn’t take long for Jennings to cement his role as the starting point guard ahead of Luke Ridnour, then he showcased his skills with a 55 point effort against the Golden State Warriors. Even though the Bucks have cooled off an Jennings has come back to reality a little bit, his impact has been great on his team and possibly the league.
It’s been three years since the NBA disallowed high school players from being selected by NBA teams in the draft. This was supposed to force players to go through a year of NCAA basketball before entering the NBA. The rule was designed to minimize the young careers being ruined, but probably more importantly save the franchises from dishing out big money to busts. The NCAA also had to be happy about getting more talented players, at least for a season.
Then came along Jennings, who exposed a loop hole in the system by heading to Europe and you can bet he has the attention of other high school players right now who are eying a future in professional basketball.
People thought he was crazy for ditching a Lute Olsen led program (Olsen eventually retired that same season) for a team overseas that knew nothing about Jennings, other than that he was a young kid with impressive stats from his senior season. The kid possessed a great athletic ability, and was truly a man amongst boys in high school, but the NBA’s doors were closed to him.
Jennings found that he didn’t need the NBA right away since in Europe there is a roster spot, money, and fame waiting for you. After you have your season in overseas, then you can come back home to try out for an NBA team.
Many people shook their heads at Jennings for going to Europe, hardly playing, and then immediately entering the NBA Draft, but it appears that he beat the system. He truly was as talented as advertised, and no matter how much or how little he played overseas, any amount of professional basketball, so it seems, is enough preparation for the NBA.
Even if Jennings becomes the exception, and not the rule, and even if his fast start fizzles out and he becomes a bust, the way the events have transpired still beg us to ask—should we be upset that this scrawny kid spurned college, out-smarted the NBA, and got his way? Or should we be thanking him ?
No related posts.