Brandon Jennings has been the big surprise of the new NBA season breaking scoring records, scorching the nets, and just showing an overall maturity not seen often from players his age not named Lebron. But it should come as no surprise considering three valuable things he learned abroad.
1. How to play with older players to earn their respect and your spot. Jennings did not get the time he wanted, or the shots he wanted, while competing overseas. He had to control the floor, be a leader, and find what helped his team. If he had stayed at Zona it would have been his show. His game would have been the same as it had at Oak Hill. He had to humble himself to fit in and find his place among older players.
2. He learned about the real world. Most of our young NBA players are caste directly into a world of make believe. They go from nice hotels and flights to luxury hotels, per diems, and veterans making sometimes 100 times the money they make. It skews their view. In Europe, Jennings learned the value of a dollar and how far it goes. He was on buses, playing in gyms the size of cracker boxes, and staying in hotels that often were not of NBA standards. He probably also wasn't expected to be out on the town trying to impress others. He was able to experience the season.
Now Brandon lives just down from the Bucks practice facility. He drives a Ford. He has said that he has to be smart with his money because of cautionary tales like Antoine Walker. It is safe to assume that Jennings game will have to adjust with the expected return of Blog Fave Michael Redd, but the early returns would seem to show that Jennings can continue to expand his game early and often.
