FanIQ News: Brandon Jennings is the early favorite for Rookie of the Year

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11/5/09

Brandon Jennings is the early favorite for Rookie of the Year

After Brandon Jennings' early results, don't be surprised to see more high school stars play in Europe

NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn, DeJuan Blair, Tyreke Evans

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Pat

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Read Article: (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

The season is still early, but Brandon Jenning looks like the early favorite for Rookie of the Year. This means good things for Jennings and his Milwaukee Bucks, but the long-term ramifications are far deeper, if Jennings continues to have a great year.

Jennings was the first player ever to graduate high school in the US, skip college and go straight to Europe to play pro ball, with the hopes of eventually playing in the NBA. If his success continues, we might see a trend of young players doing this. Why bother toiling away in school for 2 more years, when you can get paid to play against superior competition, and better prepare yourself for the NBA, without having to worry about school?

Jennings might someday be known as a pioneer for players who use European leagues as a springboard for NBA success. It's a win-win, really. The players get paid... the Euro leagues get more recognition... and we have less of the farcical "student-athletes" who are there only to play basketball and have no real interest in education.

I'm hoping more players will take advantage of this system and do the same thing that Jennings did.

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11/5/09

TheRoss

0	Yeah, I have no problems with kids going overseas to fine tune their craft. Having a minor leage system is the one thing baseball does right. I still don't like Jennings though, but I do prefer his method over the 1 and done college players.

11/5/09

mk_donley

0	Tyler Hansbrough not in the top 10? OH THE CALAMITY!!!

11/5/09

jacobmrley

1	Yes, just like Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant gave us Kwame Brown and Johnathan Bender. If it works for one player, don't think for a second it will work for another. Talent and maturity is the most important thing in making an NBA player.

11/5/09

100%InjuryRate

jacobmrley wrote:

Yes, just like Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant gave us Kwame Brown and Johnathan Bender. If it works for one player, don't think for a second it will work for another. Talent and maturity is the most important thing in making an NBA player.

Well, Jennings admittedly has said his time in Italy was a "humbling experience." So I think it really helped mature him.

As for Bender, he's not a good example. Bender didn't work out because his knees crapped out on him, not because he didn't have talent.

11/5/09

jacobmrley

100%InjuryRate wrote:

But how many players will be 'insulted' instead of 'humbled' and leave after three weeks? As an option, I think it is limited and could be more destructive to most than helpful.

Plus, Bender came out too early, tried to do too much too soon and it probably led to him destroying his knees. He is just the second name that came off the top of my head, how about Sebastian Telfair, Korleone Young, Leon Smith, Ndudi Ebi, DeSagana Diop, DeShawn Stevenson, Ousmane Cisse, Martell Webster, and Darius Miles - all of whom suffered greatly by coming right out of high school. Now, a player like Lloyd Daniels from back in the day may have benefited just as Jennings has because their situations are so similar.

11/5/09

Pat

jacobmrley wrote:

But maybe that will be a good way to weed out the bad ones. Just throwing that out there.

11/5/09

jacobmrley

0	Pat wrote: But maybe that will be a good way to weed out the bad ones. Just throwing that out there. NBA GM's who do their homework should be weeding out the bad ones. Of course, "NBA GM who does his homework" is an oxymoron of the highest caliber.

11/5/09

BluDevil

1	I'm glad this worked out for Jennings. But "superior competition"? Sure, some euro pros are better than NCAA guys but I don't think you can just make a blanket statement that soft as silk euro ball is better competition than top level NCAA teams.

11/5/09

marcus_nyce

1	That, coupled with the NCAA, err NC-S-S, idiot Nazi approach to student athletes will. I really can't blame them any more. Look what happenned to the kid from OK State over nothing. As Mike Tyson would say: "IT'S LUDACRISP!!'

11/6/09

taylordanley

0	yes it will. he was playing with men not boys in college

11/6/09

BluDevil

0	taylordanley wrote: yes it will. he was playing with men not boys in college So Ricky Rubio is a man? (And yes, I know Ricky Rubio is in the Spanish league, but you get my point). There are tons of "kids" playing pro ball in Europe. He played against just as many players his own age or there about as he did "men".