J-Speaks: Reintroduction of a Buck

On Monday night, the Milwaukee Bucks got a strong performance of 16 points, 12 assists and eight assists. It did not come from All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 20 points. It was not swingman Khris Middleton, who led the way with 24 points. It came off the bench from a recent addition, who is in his second tour of duty with the team. 

Reserve guard Brandon Jennings, who was drafted No. 10 overall in 2009 out of Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, VA had that stellar performance off the bench going 5 for 9 from the field, including 3 for 6 from three-point range and 3 for 3 from the foul line in 24 minutes, while committing just two turnovers in the Bucks (36-31) 121-103 victory at the Memphis Grizzlies (18-49), who lost their 18 consecutive game. 

Jennings, who joined the Bucks on Sunday took a major step in proving that he belongs back in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after signing a 10-day contract with the team. 

He shook off some early nerves and sparked the Bucks with 11 points and five assists in the second in helping the Bucks to a 64-50 halftime lead and they never looked back. 

“I felt like it was my first rookie game again,” the Compton, CA native said after the game. “Just to put on that jersey was a blessing, and I was just grateful.”

“I only had one practice,” Jennings said to FOX Sports Wisconsin after the game. “So, in practice I just told guys, ‘Listen man. We want to get a lot of possessions as we can. We want to shoot a lot of threes. And I just want to make the game easier for everybody.” 

“We still got a lot of work to do. I only had one practice and one game, so we just got to keep it going.”

Jennings, who started high school at Dominguez High in Compton as a freshman, and sophomore before transferring over to Oak Hill Academy last played with the Washington Wizards a season ago playing 23 games in the nation’s capital after beginning the 2016-17 season with the New York Knicks, playing 58 games for them. 

The eight-year NBA veteran, whose averaged 14.3 points and 5.8 assists in his career began this season playing overseas for the Shanxi Zhongyu in the Chinese CBA, where he averaged 27.9 points and 6.8 assists in 13 games. 

Jennings signed with the Bucks’ G-League affiliate the Wisconsin Herd on Feb 13, where he averaged 21.4 points and 7.6 assists in seven games. 

The 28-year-old credits his time overseas for helping him get his life back in order both on and off the hardwood.

“I just was able to find myself again mentally,” Jennings, who also played for the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic in his career said. “I was really mentally messed up in the head because of my, so called, career-ending injury. I always wanted to bounce back from that …but I just did a lot of manifest. I manifest a lot about positivity. So, I tried to get a lot of negative thoughts and things out of my head and it really helped me. It really helped me off the court being a better father too.” 

That injury Jennings referred to came when he ruptured left Achilles he sustained on Jan. 24, 2015 in a 101-86 loss at ironically enough the Bucks. 

During that season, which was his second in the “Motor City” Jennings averaged 15.4 points, and 6.6 assists in 41 games. 

Four days prior to that setback in his career, Jennings had perhaps the best overall game of his career with 24 points and a career-high 21 assists in a 128-118 victory versus the Orlando Magic, which made him the first player to record a 20-point, 20-assists game in the league since future Hall of Famer and two-time MVP Steve Nash in 2009. 

On Jan. 16, 2015 Jennings scored a season-high 37 points, going 10 for 23 from the field in a 98-96 win over the Indiana Pacers. 

While those stellar nights on the resume of Jennings were impressive, they pale in comparison to what he did in the seventh game of his rookie season where he scored a career-high 55 points on Nov. 14, 2009 in leading the Bucks to a 129-125 win versus the Golden State Warriors. 

He put on that spectacular performance after going scoreless in the opening quarter, and erupted for 29 points in the third period, as Jennings broke the team rookie scoring mark that was previously held by Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970 and recorded the most points by a rookie since Hall of Famer Earl “The Pearl” Monroe scored 56 in 1968. 

Jennings also became the youngest player to ever reached the “double-nickel” in scoring in NBA history, while scoring the second-highest total all-time for a player under 21 years of age, behind only four-time league MVP and three-time NBA champion LeBron James’ 56-point in March 2005. It was also the second most points scored by a Bucks’ player behind the 57 points of All-Star Michael Redd in 2006. 

One player who was not surprised by the performance that Jennings, who wore jersey No. 11, not the No. 3 that is worn by veteran guard Jason Terry is center John Henson, who is the only remaining member of the Bucks who was on the team when Jennings began his NBA journey in the Midwest. 

“I don’t think it’s a question whether he can play in the NBA,” the former North Carolina Tar Heel, who was drafted No. 14 overall in 2012 said after a 11-point, seven rebound performance on Monday night. 

“Obviously, it about the right situation. Especially this summer, it was a rough summer for free agents. But he can clearly play, so I’m excited to have him. On a 10-day, for a guy like that to have that type of talent, it’s rare.” 

What Jennings did on Monday night not only showed he still has the goods, but he can be an asset for the Bucks, especially with two keys members of their backcourt in reigning Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova still on the shelf because of injury. 

It is because of that Jennings got his chance, and he made the most of it and the coaching staff of the Bucks is relying on him to continue that, as they are in the thick of a tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference where they are currently the No. 7 Seed. 

“We wanted more,” interim head coach Joe Prunty said after the win. “No, he was very good tonight. Obviously the 12 assists were great. We had 33 as a team. Like the ball movement, like the way as a group we shared it and pushed the ball. But overall a really positive night for him, a lot of things that were really good.” 

Antetokounmpo echoed those same sentiments after the win saying, “Brandon Jennings is an NBA player. It doesn’t surprise me what he did tonight and hopefully he can help us moving forward.”

When you say the name Brandon Jennings, what comes to mind is a talented guard who had an ability to score the ball from his days at Dominguez High, in Compton, CA to his time in the NBA. He had some great moments, and some tough moments where he was traded to where he was out of the league. He has battled his way back through flat out hard work and dedication, while also improving himself as a person and father of three. 

“It’s just all the hard work I was putting in in China,” Jennings said. “People don’t understand, I was still hurt with my Achilles injury, so now I’m finally healthy. I was able to really just revamp my whole self, just focus on basketball and be able to just work out. So, when I was in China, I just felt like I was at Oak Hill [Academy] again, just working on my game and trying to get to that level again.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 11/9/2015 bckonline.com story, “Brandon Jennings and Tae Heckard Welcome Their Son;” 3/12/18 8 p.m. contest Milwaukee Bucks versus Memphis Grizzlies on FOX Sports Wisconsin with Jim Paschke and Marques Johnson; 3/12/18 www.espn.com article, “Brandon Jennings Nearly Gets Triple-Double in First Game Back with Bucks,” by Nick Friedell; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3997/brandon-jennings; www.nba.com/games/20180312/MILMEM#/boxscore/recap; www.espn.com/nba/standing; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Jennings.