Weekly NBA News
Brandon Jennings Announced That He Will Not Return Next Year, Are Small-Market Teams Irreverent Now?
Jennings said this will be there last season with the Bucks. Are small-markets teams just irreverent now? Let me get this straight, once Lebron left he started a new trend in the NBA. If you can't win by yourself, grab some friends and create a super-team. Now I'm not sure if Jennings is planning on doing that, but he said he wouldn't be returning to the Milwaukee Bucks for another year. You could make a case Jennings is a low-class superstar in the NBA. However, Jennings would help out any team they played for, and he doesn't play for a big-market team.
Brandon Jennings hasn't gotten much nation attention since being draft. However, ever since he got draft by the Bucks, he was the face of their franchise. Jennings battled through 3 rough seasons, only making 1 playoff appearance, but he he averaged 19.1 points per game and 6.1 assists per game on a sub-par team. Then Milwaukee sensed that Jennings needs another guard to play along with him, and they also sensed that Jennings could be on his way out early. Milwaukee quickly dealt for Monta Ellis, dealing former number 1 overall pick Andrew Bogot in the process. The deal worked out well for the Bucks, going 15-7 since the trade (they still missed the playoffs though). Ellis averaged nearly 25 points per game with the Bucks, and Jennings was finally happy for the first time in his young career. But when extension time came, Milwaukee management "lowballed" offers on Jennings. They highest Milwaukee wanted to go was 5 years worth 35 million. Jennings would walk away and declare he will be a free agent. Now we're unsure where Monta Ellis wants to go (he has a player option for this year), but we are sure Orlando GM Rob Hennigan and Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo have contacted Jennings. This will be interesting to see how it plays out, as Milwaukee will probably look to trade both Jennings and Ellis before the All-Star Break. Both players would improve almost any back-court they play for.
So that makes me ask the question, would he have stayed if he was playing on a team like the Knicks? They surely would've offered Jennings more money. What's wrong with being a small-market team now a days? Teams like the Thunder have got the "draft first" idea down. In some cases you could say they got lucky, drafting both Westbrook and Durant, but in some cases they got their players to buy in. It's a long shot to be able to draft superstars year in and year out, and the Bucks haven't been able to do that. Their draft picks haven't been too smooth over the past few years. Does the super-team concept hurt the NBA? Well it helps the popularity, but it overall hurts the league. However, I doubt the NBA will do anything to change this, and they have talked about contracted teams even. The only thing small-markets teams can do is hope for the best when they draft, because I doubt Stern is going to help you... ever.
NBA Mock Draft V1
Shabazz Muhammad has scouts drooling over his talent, but will his character make him drop in the draft? 1. PF Nerlens Noel Kentucky
2. SG/SF Shabazz Muhammad UCLA
3. C Cody Zeller Indiana
4. SG Ben McLemore Kansas
5. SF Alex Poythress Kentucky
6. SF/PF CJ Leslie NC State
7. PG Ryan Harrow Kentucky
8. SF/PF Anthony Bennett UNLV
9. SF/PF James McAdoo North Carolina
10. PG Michael Carter-Williams Syracuse