As you may have noticed, I link to a lot of Brandon Jennings content. There are a few reasons for this:
1. I detest the NBA’s age limit rule and sincerely hope that Jennings succeeds in Europe.
2. Whether you agree with the NBA’s age limit or not, Jennings made history by becoming the first high school player to forgo college in favor of signing a professional contract overseas. From a historical standpoint, I think it’s important to follow his progress.
Jennings’ team, Lottomatica Roma, has limited his minutes (18.5) thus far, so there is little to evaluate at this point. But that didn’t stop Luis Fernández and Jonathan Givony of Draft Express from putting together a thorough scouting report.
Right now, Jennings appears to be at his best receiving outlet passes and pushing the ball up the floor in transition. His outstanding combination of speed and ball-handling skills make him absolutely impossible to contain in the open floor, and he is able to change the tempo of the game immediately by turning a defensive rebound into an easy basket.
Another positive impact Jennings is making is with his shooting stroke, which appears to have major potential down the road. He does a very good job spotting up on the wing in catch and shoot situations, looking quite reliable with his feet set, while he can also make some shots off the dribble as well, although his accuracy drops significantly in the process.
As Jennings earns more trust from Repesa, we see the coach letting him get more involved in pick and roll situations in half-court sets. Jennings has great potential here too, as he turns the corner on screens with a tremendous burst of speed, and has the court vision to find the open man rolling to the basket with terrific flair and creativity. He’s shown some terrific sparks of talent with his passing ability at times, having the added benefit of being left-handed, and already being featured on some highlight reels thanks to the flashy assists he can dish out.
Fernandez and Givony write that Jennings is still plagued by defensive shortcomings and shot selection, but is “being allowed to learn from his mistakes.”
Check out the full scouting report here.
