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ROY
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Originally Posted by imINchucks5
next game..
BJ vs Flynn
then
BJ vs Knicks
Originally Posted by jmause3
Jennings did his thing tonight
Originally Posted by HueyP in LouieV
His defense has impressed me the most.
*#% were the Knicks thinkin' passin' on him....
that they were cleaning house and there was no need for another egomaniac on the roster.
he's doing well, he appears to have matured but that pick and his career can not be judged on this year, much less 3 games.
sportsguy33 Donnie Walsh will need to use all of his PR powers - and they are extensive - to spin the Jennings-Hill disaster. Wow. What a mega-misfire.
http://twitter.com/sportsguy33sportsguy33 Yes. Knick fans, would you like kerosene or lighter fluid for the self-lighting? RT @jburns1977: Is Brandon Jennings the steal of the draft?
Originally Posted by Wisconsin 4 Life
Dude is a stud. They need to build around him, Warrick, and Bogut and trade everyone else, especially the injury prone, no defense playing, money bag "star".
that they were cleaning house and there was no need for another egomaniac on the roster.
[h2]Rookie Watch: Jennings takes top spot[/h2]
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By David Thorpe
Scouts Inc.
Archive
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty ImagesA year abroad left some questioning Brandon Jennings' game, but the Bucks' rook has shined thus far.
Beginning this week, our report ranks the rookies based solely on what they have done as NBA players -- regular-season NBA players, that is. And though it's been just one week, there is already an interesting development.
Back in the spring, experts called the 2009 draft a "point guard's draft." Well, early returns suggest the experts were right, as our top four rookies are all point guards. And that does not even include some of the guards experts were thinking about at the time, like Ricky Rubio (playing in Spain for FC Barcelona), Nick Calathes (in Greece with Panathinaikos), Rodrigue Beaubois (playing behind vets in Dallas) and the Kings' Tyreke Evans, who is struggling to make the adjustment from a scoring guard to more of a lead guard who can score.
[h4]Rookie 50[/h4]
Check out David Thorpe's complete rookie rankings for 2009-10. Rookie 50
• Hollinger's rookie stats
In three-plus years, it's easy to envision this class comprising close to a third of the starting points in the league, when you consider that Philly coach Eddie Jordan recently predicted their top pick, Jrue Holiday (who turned 19 in June), will be the best point guard to ever run his offense.
For now, though, the cream of this crop is perhaps the most unlikeliest to earn the top spot, at least to rabid college fans. Because while the other top four guys were tearing up the NCAA last season, Brandon Jennings was mostly riding pine in Italy, playing with men. Watching Jennings play is like watching a NASCAR race (I'm guessing). Lots of speed and energy, with the omnipresent specter of a spectacular crash at any moment -- but with a lot of technicality below the surface. His time in Europe served him well, as he's shown he can manage many parts of the game extremely well.
Jennings
1. Brandon Jennings, Bucks
Here are two words that help understand what potentially makes Jennings special: infectious enthusiasm. His passion for the game leaps out of him, and spills over the floor. Some of it has to land on his teammates. Add that to his love for passing to them, and you have an idea why he's off to such a great start.
Every smart scout I sat with while watching him play in Vegas this summer kept talking about how much fun it would be to play with him. As a point guard, that's the best compliment you can get. Also, the fact that he's not afraid to fail (like, when he spent last year in Rome) has to be appealing to coach Scott Skiles.
It's hard to get mad at a player who so desperately wants to play well and does so with great effort. There are times when he's terrific at popping passes everywhere, and others where he over-dribbles and takes a horrible shot. He'll learn, and quickly, how to do more of the former and less of the latter.
But he's a terrific scoring threat, averaging 22.0 ppg on 50 percent shooting from 3 (and just under it overall). I've been most impressed with his ball-screen action -- no rookie attacks the screens better than him, and most are much worse.
• Check out Brandon Jennings' rookie card for more observations
Flynn
2. Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves
There is talk of Flynn's being demoted to the second unit, in favor of Ramon Sessions, but it's not because Flynn has stumbled out of the gate.
In fact, he's been good, if not very good. His shot selection has been solid, as has his shooting (3-of-5 from 3, 47.5 percent FG). It's clear that he has a flair for the dramatic, although his high turnover rate have not helped to keep the drama low, at least not to his coach.
Still, the argument can be made that Flynn has been the second-most productive rookie after one week of action. Coming off the bench will not slow Flynn down, if coach Kurt Rambis decides to make that move. In fact, like Ty Lawson, Flynn's jets and shooting ability are tailor-made for a production-packed role in reserve. He looks like a mainstay in our top 10.
• Check out Jonny Flynn's rookie card for more observations
Lawson
3. Ty Lawson, Nuggets
The truth is, a few of the point guards on this list could do what Lawson is doing, if they were on the Nuggets. Well, almost. Lawson's time at North Carolina has him well-prepared for how he needs to play in Denver. But he does not have to apologize for his good fortune' after all, he has made much of it himself.
Watching him rush up the floor, being quick while not hurrying (it's a John Wooden reference), is to see exactly what most NBA coaches want in their backup PG. Make easy plays, help teammates get good shots, and do not ever turn the ball over.
It likely won't happen this season, but Lawson has the makings of a perennial Sixth Man of the Year award winner.
• Check out Ty Lawson's rookie card for more observations
Curry
4. Stephen Curry, Warriors
Hopefully, Curry has to put to rest the idea that he is lacking as a passer. Watching him play (or seeing that he leads all rooks in assist rate) should tell you all you need to know.
He's imaginative, he anticipates the actions of both his teammates and their defenders, and he has the ball skills required to deliver the goods.
He's also smart, as his gunning style as a shooter in Vegas and in preseason (not to mention, at Davidson) seems to have been set aside for a more disciplined approach.
• Check out Stephen Curry rookie card for more observations
Blair
5. DeJuan Blair, Spurs
Want to know how a rookie can break into the lineup of a championship contender? Ask Mr. Blair -- he could write a book about it. The book would have many chapters, but the title would be something like: "Play defense, rebound your butt off, and finish!"
Well, Blair is fifth in the entire league in rebound rate and eighth in true shooting percentage among power forwards. He's miles ahead of any rookie in either category. Once he gets to playing solid defense, he'll be a permanent part of that Spurs rotation, if he isn't already.
• Check out DeJuan Blair's rookie card for more observations
Casspi
6. Omri Casspi, Kings
In Sacramento's home opener on Monday night, Casspi blocked a Zach Randolph shot at the rim (one of his two blocks in the game). And he pulled down three key offensive rebounds with sheer hustle and determination.
His energy has sparked something numerous times thus far, but then again, that's exactly what the Kings expected when they drafted him. He's the classic high-energy guy, but he's doing two things that no one expected. He's scoring, just over 10 points per game, because he's making perimeter shots.
Casspi has made 4 of 9 3-pointers, after hitting 11-of-21 in the preseason, all coming from a player who was not known for his shooting. Like DeJuan Blair, when rookies can combine energy (defense and/or rebounding) with finishes, they become valuable rotation players.
• Check out Omri Casspi's rookie card for more observations
Budinger
7. Chase Budinger, Rockets
Budinger continues to be somewhat of a revelation in this draft. He is playing with such confidence, and when that is combined with world-class athleticism and some serious skill, it's a dangerous mix for opponents. More importantly, it's part of a winning recipe, as his 17 points and five rebounds proved in a 113-96 win over Utah on Monday.
For Houston to make the playoffs this season, they had to count on some overachieving. In this case, it's not overachieving as much as achievement from an unexpected source. I know the Rockets' brass loved what they saw from Budinger, a second-round pick, this summer, and nothing has changed.
• Check out Chase Budinger's rookie card for more observations