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Top 5 for the 6- No. 4: Brandon Jennings
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Brandon Jennings (Photo: Getty images)
After some technical complications pushed back the dates when I could publish the rest of this countdown (and led to the #1 profile being published second) , I have decided to go ahead with the three players I have not yet profiled. Other players like Ricky Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet are now in play for the Wolves after they traded for the #5 pick, but I will be profiling remaining players under the assumption that Blake Griffin, Rubio and Thabeet will go in the Top 3.
For previously published profiles, click here:
Timberwolves Draft Prospect #4: Brandon Jennings PG; Italy
If I had done this countdown four weeks ago, Jennings may have challenged for the #1 spot. However, he has spent recent weeks murdering his own draft stock by not showing up for workouts and pro days, causing many to question his credentials and his head.
At this time last year, Jennings was the top point guard in the country among High School seniors and seemed to be on the fast track to success. He was a surefire top- 5 prospect for the 2009 NBA draft who only needed to show flashes of his top- notch talent to solidify himself as a star in the making. But Jennings, who had committed to the University of Arizona, failed to meet academic standards and was denied admission. Instead of playing at a junior college like most prospects who fail to qualify, Jennings opted to play a year of professional ball in Europe. This decision led some to question his mental toughness and attitude. Those concerns were further amplified when the 18- year- old Jennings clashed with his coach early in the season in Europe, with Jennings expressing displeasure over his lack of playing time.
As the season went on, Jennings seemed to mature as a person as well as a player, while trying to remain visible through his entertaining and informative personal blog. Though he didn’t put up spectacular stats, Jennings honed his game while playing against seasoned veterans, which was arguably more beneficial to his development than playing against his peers in the NCAA. Jennings showcased his phenomenal speed and quickness, while also demonstrating above average court vision and passing skills. He is a pure point guard who also has a chance to become pretty good shooter, though he is inconsistent at this point. He does have range that extends to the NBA three- point line, but his percentages from the field leave something to be desired.
After a season of playing against pros overseas, Jennings was once again considered the #2 point guard prospect in the draft, behind only Ricky Rubio. In the days after the draft lottery, most mocks projected Jennings to be taken #4 by the Sacramento Kings. But then his behavior caused all of the question marks to resurface. When Jennings was a no- show for the American pre-draft camp in Chicago as well as the European prospect camp, many wondered if Jennings was trying to hide deficiencies in his game that could be exposed at these camps, or if he was just allowing is blowing them off because of poor attitude. Regardless of what the reasons are behind keeping his distance from workouts, Jennings’s draft stock has plummeted. He is now viewed as a late lottery pick, projected to go somewhere around picks 10-14.
The recent developments have really disappointed me, because I really like Jennings as a player. He is only 19 and already has a year of professional seasoning under his belt, and though he is small and a below average shooter at this point (similar to Minnesota’s current backup PG, Sebastian Telfair), he has a lot of room to grow and a lot of skill to work with. I really do think he has the talent to be a very good NBA point guard, but his recent behavior has rekindled concerns that he may not have the head for it. Despite being arguably a top- 5 talent, Jennings is now universally being passed by fellow point guards like Jonny Flynn and Jrue Holiday in the latest draft projections. Though he was once a realistic option for the Wolves at #6, Jennings now looks like a guy that Minnesota could try to target with its second first round pick, possibly packaging the #18 and #28 to move up to around 14 or 15 if Jennings is still available there.
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