Has Brandon Jennings finally turned the corner?

Navas · Post #81 » by **Navas** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:56 am

C_O_N_Spiracy wrote:Turned the corner? No.

But he does look better than he was at any point in Milwaukee.

This is what I had in mind. He's looked better, but I think he can do more.

Notanoob · Post #82 » by **Notanoob** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:58 am

There are reasonable reasons that we Pistons fans are so happy with Jennings as of right now.

1. He's worlds better than Brandon Knight. I loved Knight, but he struggled just to bring the ball up the court. He was abysmal at running the offense. Jennings is a gigantic upgrade from him on that end of the floor.

2. He's under the guidance of Chauncey Billiups. See the effect he's had on Stuckey? Stuckey has always played better when Chauncey's been around. We sort of expect that Chauncey will help him improve, even if it's only marginally. Cheeks too has been working as a mentor, and although it's taking time, it seems to me that his playstyle is getting close to where it should be. That said, his games against Portland and Indiana were stinkers.

3. Why does anyone really give a damn about our back court anyways? This team is all about the front court. If Moose is getting fed, if JSmoove is taking the ball to the paint, and if Drummond is developing, that's what it's all about.

My biggest concern is that we've got too many guys who need to get some time with the ball to get into games. JSmoove needs to get fed paint shots early to get him into the habit, Moose needs some early post looks to engage him, but Jennings also wants to run the offense and not just dump the ball in and stand around until the bigs score or miss. They need to establish some sort of balance so that everyone's happy and plays their game the way that they need to play it. Drummond and KCP are the only totally unselfish guys who don't need any plays run for them in our starting lineup.

But yeah, as Pistons fans, we can just sit and wait, since nothing really matters until Drummond hits his prime and owns the league. Or at least the C position.

Q00 · Post #83 » by **Q00** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:59 am

Buckeye-NBAFan wrote:
Q00 wrote:List of PGs shooting around 40%

Lilliard
Westbrook
Irving
Wall
Jennings
Kemba

Can someone please explain once and for all why Jennings is the only one on this list who gets criticized here for his ~40% shooting?

Because Irving is having the worst season of his career, Westbrook is having his worst year since 2010 and he's coming off injury, half of Lillard's shots are from 3 where he shoots over 42%, so his eFG% is much higher, Wall is a better playmaker and defender, and Walker isn't that good.

How does this answer the question again?

All you did was repeat the point that they are all shooting just as bad. But that doesn't answer the question of why their low % rarely gets brought up, yet you can't even utter Jennings name without at least one loser making some lame comment about his FG%?

And your list of PGs you think are better is nothing but subjective opinion. You're entitled to your opinion, but that doesn't mean its fact just because you say it is. Not to mention just because there are a lot of good PGs today doesn't mean Jennings can't be considered good as well. In case you misread the thread title, it doesn't say 'is Jennings the best PG in the league?' All it asks is if a young 24 yr old PG has improved, and anyone who has consistently watched him play this year can clearly see the improvement. There was really no question mark needed in the OPs title. He's a better PG than he was last year. Anyone with a clue can see that.

Post #84 » by **og15** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:20 am

Q00 wrote:
Buckeye-NBAFan wrote:
Q00 wrote:List of PGs shooting around 40%

Lilliard
Westbrook
Irving
Wall
Jennings
Kemba

Can someone please explain once and for all why Jennings is the only one on this list who gets criticized here for his ~40% shooting?

Because Irving is having the worst season of his career, Westbrook is having his worst year since 2010 and he's coming off injury, half of Lillard's shots are from 3 where he shoots over 42%, so his eFG% is much higher, Wall is a better playmaker and defender, and Walker isn't that good.

How does this answer the question again?

All you did was repeat the point that they are all shooting just as bad. But that doesn't answer the question of why their low % rarely gets brought up, yet you can't even utter Jennings name without at least one loser making some lame comment about his FG%?

And your list of PGs you think are better is nothing but subjective opinion. You're entitled to your opinion, but that doesn't mean its fact just because you say it is. Not to mention just because there are a lot of good PGs today doesn't mean Jennings can't be considered good as well. In case you misread the thread title, it doesn't say 'is Jennings the best PG in the league?' All it asks is if a young 24 yr old PG has improved, and anyone who has consistently watched him play this year can clearly see the improvement. There was really no question mark needed in the OPs title. He's a better PG than he was last year. Anyone with a clue can see that.

I don't know if you just don't go into the threads about these players, or what, but they definitely are.

eg: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1288318

That was the whole premise of the thread!

Baddy Chuck · Post #85 » by **Baddy Chuck** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:24 am

ComboGuardCity wrote:Check out his December stats, when he finally was able to establish himself as the Pistons Point guard.

19.8pts
41.1 FG%
40.9 3pt%
53% TS %
7.8 asts
4.2 rebs

So saying he's the same old crap player, even when looking at stats, is false.

He had months like that in Milwaukee, and better months. Consistency (and his brain) is his problem.

miltk · Post #86 » by **miltk** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:41 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... nHndbNPYi0

howz about letting things settle and seeing if bj goes back to his old self, before proclaiming his new self is permanent.

Mr Peanut wrote:Just had 28 points and 14 assists leading the Pistons to a win over the Celtics for the 4th best record in the East (in b4 East is terrible).

This season he is averaging 17.5 points, 8.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals on 39.4% FG and 36.7% 3PT.

Those watching the games will see his shot selection has been much better this season (shooting over 41% in December after a slow start to the season) and he is passing more (backed up by his assist numbers).

For critics of his FG% he is shooting very similar numbers to Kyrie Irving, John Wall and Kemba Walker and better from 3PT than all of them.

His assists per game are good for 4th-tied in the NBA along with Jrue Holiday and Ty Lawson.

It seems Jennings has almost a universal bias against him by RealGM, but is it fair to say he has finally turned the corner as a player in this league?

FrieAaron · Post #87 » by **FrieAaron** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:46 am

Baddy Chuck wrote:He had months like that in Milwaukee, and better months. Consistency (and his brain) is his problem.

This. He'll have stretches like this. Enjoy them. At one point last year for the Bucks over the course of a few games he was averaging like 15 assists. Then he usually just starts chucking again.

xBulletproof · Post #88 » by **xBulletproof** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:51 am

Mr Peanut wrote:"Jenning's FG% is low which makes him a terrible PG, but let's ignore that the great PGs like Westbrook, Lillard, Rubio, Wall etc. shoot at the same percentage!"

You realize, that all of those guys except Rubio have a better career FG%, than Brandon Jennings has posted as a career best in any single year, right?

There's plenty of reason to expect them to get better. Jennings is pretty much shooting as he always has. Big difference.

MrBigShot · Post #89 » by **MrBigShot** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:59 am

Buck You wrote:
tsherkin wrote:He is still shooting under 40% from the field on the season, turning the ball over and sucking a lot.

He hasn't turned anything...

This. He'll have games where he's making terrible jump shots but he's still useless and a career backup.

Career backup? Now that is irrational.

XtotheDeezy · Post #90 » by **XtotheDeezy** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:36 am

I think Billups is the biggest reason Jennings has looked better this season. He's helping Jennings nurture that dominant seed he has inside. Pistons are gonna be scary good within the two seasons, especially if they can trade Monroe for an elite glue guy (tough to find, I know) or draft one and move Smith to PF.

scrop32 · Post #91 » by **scrop32** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:59 am

come on, all of those are just lucky shots

nothing to be excited about

hege53190 · Post #92 » by **hege53190** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:27 am

This thread is awesome. It seems like Detroit fans have Stockholm syndrome.

I love the OP touting the 4th best Record in the East. That is amazing. Do you know another way you could have marketed it? 13-14, under .500, would be 12th best record in the West, 15th best record in the league, just about the same record as the Bucks have had over the past 4 years under Jennings.

Congrats, welcome to mediocrity. Get to know it well.

AussieBuck · Post #93 » by **AussieBuck** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:36 am

He's better than Knight, so there's that. Of course Middleton's better than both of them so the Bucks get a very rare trade win.

Mr Peanut · Post #94 » by **Mr Peanut** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:40 am

hege53190 wrote:God this thread is awesome. It seems like Detroit fans have Stockholm syndrome.

I love the OP touting the 4th best Record in the East. That is amazing. Do you know another way you could have marketed it? 13-14, under .500, would be 12th best record in the West, 15th best record in the league, just about the same record as the Bucks have had over the past 4 years under Jennings.

Congrats, welcome to mediocrity. Get to know it well.

Oh dear, salty Bucks fan is salty.

I also wrote "in b4 East is terrible" because I knew some posters would take umbrage. But the fact is Detroit could be a lot lower in the standings if it wasn't for Jennings.

As for future mediocrity, a 20-year-old Andre Drummond might have something to say about that.

bushybrah_ · Post #95 » by **bushybrah_** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:43 am

Moose10Fan wrote:Advanced metric are ruining basketball discussion, everything isn't a science.

I'll give you a And 1 from the 3 point line for this post.

Mr Peanut · Post #96 » by **Mr Peanut** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:44 am

AussieBuck wrote:He's better than Knight, so there's that. Of course Middleton's better than both of them so the Bucks get a very rare trade win.

I was one of Middleton's biggest fans when he was with us, but I think most of us realised he would never be better than a rotation player on a good team or a starter on a bad one.

AussieBuck · Post #97 » by **AussieBuck** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:46 am

Mr Peanut wrote:
AussieBuck wrote:He's better than Knight, so there's that. Of course Middleton's better than both of them so the Bucks get a very rare trade win.

I was one of Middleton's biggest fans when he was with us, but I think most of us realised he would never be better than a rotation player on a good team or a starter on a bad one.

He can play D and hit threes. He could start on lots of good teams.

hege53190 · Post #98 » by **hege53190** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:49 am

AussieBuck wrote:He's better than Knight, so there's that. Of course Middleton's better than both of them so the Bucks get a very rare trade win.

Plus neither Knight nor Middleton are an epic Douche. Turning on a Bucks game and not being forced to watch Jennings play hero ball is a win by itself.

AussieBuck · Post #99 » by **AussieBuck** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:53 am

hege53190 wrote:
AussieBuck wrote:He's better than Knight, so there's that. Of course Middleton's better than both of them so the Bucks get a very rare trade win.

Plus neither Knight nor Middleton are an epic Douche. Turning on a Bucks game and not being forced to watch Jennings play hero ball is a win by itself.

Eh, Knight's pretty painful.

Post #100 » by **tsherkin** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:57 am

primecougar wrote:I never said he was the perfect player but who do you want taking these shots? In Detroit Monroe and Drummond can't shoot outside of 3 feet. Josh smith bricks more shots than Jennings. There's really no one else that can create a a shot. His Milwaukee team was terrible. I understand he takes bad shots but he's the only one that can create a shot anytime he wants. So what do you want Brandon Jennings to do? Someone on Detroit has to take the shots.

Sure. What this indicates is that the team construction is shoddy and that the GM needs to make smarter decisions. I agree that there aren't a ton of better options on the Pistons as far as creating shots, but that doesn't exonerate Jennings, he's still not a good option.

It's that old ham, "yeah it's crooked, but it's the only game in town..."