Jennings working on everything

A little odd to see some non-news regarding Brandon Jennings.  Maybe this is a sign of how much buzz the Bucks have created on a national level.  Below is the note from ESPN regarding Jennings on the ESPN NBA Rumors, it is always fun to read positive things about your team:

Brandon Jennings had a terrific rookie season for the Bucks and is working hard during the summer to improve his game.

“Right now, Brandon is working on everything,” Bucks general manager John Hammond tells Sporting News.

“Obviously, as a young player, you can’t come in and think you have nothing to get better at,” added Hammond. “Every year, you have to come back a better player. Brandon is working on cleaning up his shooting form, making his technique more consistent. He is working on his right hand (Jennings is a lefty). He is working on his defense. He played well last year, but I don’t think he is completely satisfied.”

More Carmelo Trade Talk

This storyline should really pick up steam as the season approaches.  What will Denver try to get back for Carmelo, or do they wait until free agency and get nothing.  I still really hope against him becoming a Chicago Bull as I think a trio of Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer would make the Bulls a serious threat to even the Lakers and Heat.  Chicago, New York and Orlando are among the favorites.  I hope he stays in the West.

The longer Carmelo Anthony goes without getting traded despite signs he will, the more his potential list of suitors continues to grow.

On Saturday, Sam Amico of NBA.com reported that in addition to previously mentioned New Jersey, the Wolves and Kings are in play for Anthony.

“Early word around NBA is Nuggets will try to trade Carmelo to one of three teams: Wolves, Kings or Nets,” he tweeted. “In other words, careful what you wish for.”

While Anthony may have a preferred list of teams he’d like to play for — the Knicks and Rockets are said to be chief among them — the Nuggets don’t have to lock themselves into just those teams in trying to find an agreeable trade partner.

The team can instead find the best deal available — it’s believed they are looking for young players and picks — instead of only dealing with Melo’s list.

Charlie Villanueva and Yi

Two former Bucks, that I certainly do not miss, made the ESPN rumor page.  Chuck hopes to start and Yi is tearing it up against crappy teams.  I will always feel neither will ever be a major contributor on a playoff team but whatever.

Charlie Villanueva’s inaugural campaign in Detroit last season was a bit of disappointment.

He battled through a host of injuries — though he only missed three games — and saw the least amount of minutes per game of his career.

But with a solid summer under his belt, he’s looking to start at power forward next season.

“That’s my mentality — to be a starter,” Villanueva told Pistons.com on Monday. “But at the same time, I don’t want it to be given to me. I want to earn it. I believe I can be a starter in this league. I’ve done it before.”

Yi tearing it up, against crap:

It was only two games over the weekend, but new Wizard Yi Jianlian has played well in the World Championships for China. He had 26 points and 14 rebounds vs. Greece on Saturday and 26 points and nine rebounds vs. Ivory Coast on Sunday.

“His production will likely drop against superior foes — remember, Greece was without two of its best big men and Ivory Coast has none of merit,” wrote Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “But so far, so good for Yi.”

Rashad Mobley of Truth About Ithad similar cautious praise: “Overall, it’s awfully hard to make sweeping generalizations about Yi after just two games. But if you’re looking for some indication of how Yi will perform this fall, there are some encouraging trends.”

Yi is showing more aggression in and around the hoop in the World Championships, something that hasn’t been a strong part of his repertoire during his short NBA career.

If Yi continues such aggressive play into the season with John Wall running the show and Andray Blatche and JaVale McGeeattracting attention from opposing defenses, it may prove to help Yi live up to his potential, potential he’s yet to fully unveil as a No. 6 draft pick of the Bucks in 2007.

USA Edges Brazil

The USA Mens Basketball team topped Brazil 70-68 today.

Evans has not been a huge problem off the court in college or the NBA but he has had some minor incidents that when piled together make you question whether he is a guy you want to build a team around.  He is young and can change but the only proof we have of what he will be like in the future when he hits his prime and maximizes his ability are incidents like the latest, a speeding incident caught on tape.

Evans Speeding Incident

There is a video released of Evans speeding this past weekend.  Reports have him at over 130 mph.  Not the worst thing in the world any athlete has done but any run-in with the police is not a good thing for a potential franchise player.  In an article from the Sacramento Bee it is mentioned that Evans receives preferential treatment from the Sacramento Kings.  The team will look the other way when Evans does something stupid while other players on the team will suffer consequences.  

From Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee:

” … almost from the moment Evans emerged as a major talent, the Kings altered the rules,” Voisin wrote. ” … There was one set of guidelines for the prized rookie and another set for everyone else — a development that caused resentment in the locker room and is among the reasons Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni welcomed trades.

“Evans’ personal trainer, for instance, enjoys unique access before and after games. A practice was canceled so Evans could fly to Las Vegas and meet President Barack Obama. Westphal routinely jumped Hawes, Donte Greene, Jason Thompson, Omri Casspi and other young Kings for mistakes yet blatantly looked the other way when Evans’ game became linear — times he dominated the ball or ignored wide-open teammates.”

It will be interesting how Evans develops with a different set of rules AND the addition of Demarcus Cousins.  Cousins is another ultra-talented young player, another former Calipari player, whose maturity is his biggest question mark.

Brandon Jennings, Crickets…

This brings me back to Brandon Jennings.  What have we heard about Jennings this off-season?  Nothing.  Jennings has not been all over TMZ or police blotters, or had his name mentioned in relation to any crime or incident.  Jennings has been off the radar for the most part this summer and that is exactly what we want as Bucks fans.  The crap you do off the court can and will effect you on the court if a troubling pattern develops.

I will not go as far as to say Evans is a trouble-maker who will not straighten out, but he has had some small issues and there is a concern of preferential treatment.  Meanwhile Jennings is not getting into any trouble while he will continue to receive tough love from Scott Skiles.

In three to four years if both players continue under the same level of treatment each receives and  each continue to handle success the way they have we will be much happier with Brandon Jennings than Sacramento will be with Tyreke Evans.