Orlando Magic: Do You Want Brandon Jennings To Return?

Should the Orlando Magic consider bringing back Brandon Jennings next year?

There’s no question that this is going to be a huge summer for the Orlando Magic. They find themselves with yet another lottery pick in the NBA Draft, but have secured a proven head coach in Frank Vogel.

The emphasis must surely now be on adding some veterans to their intriguing young core.

One player who they may deem surplus to requirements though is point guard Brandon Jennings. Acquired from the Detroit Pistons in a mid-season trade that sent Tobias Harris the other way, Jennings appeared promising at times but underachieved during his time in the pinstriped blue.

The blame for these average performances does not fall squarely on his shoulders however. Although he had worked with head coach at the time Scott Skiles in Milwaukee with the Bucks before, Jennings only played in 25 games for the Magic.

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He started on six occasions and although he knew the system Skiles had implemented on this team, he wasn’t given the time to properly show his new club what he could do.

Throw in the fact he still doesn’t look the same since coming back from a dreaded Achilles injury and it’s easy to think his brief stint in Orlando is already over.

Jennings is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Is he in line to receive a hefty contract from another team? It seems unlikely, but given that there is more money in the league than ever before coupled with a lack of quality floor generals available right now, one may come his way.

Whether he does or not though, would you like to see him back next season? There’s an argument for and against having him around, so let’s look at both sides of the story to see if it makes sense to bring him back on a new deal.

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Firstly, and in some ways most importantly, the money paid out would have to be right. A three-year deal might sound too generous, but people forget Jennings is only 26 years old. Despite that serious injury, in theory he is yet to hit his prime.

He’s right at that sweet spot that can be hard to find in the league today. Young enough to still make strides in his game, but old enough (six-year pro) to be a better locker room presence and veteran leader on this team.

Starting with the negatives then, and with so much talent potentially available this summer, is Jennings really the kind of player you want to plunge some of your money, as well as a roster spot, into?

The Magic can shape this team any way they like now, and while that’s exciting, they have to get it right.

With Elfrid Payton the supposed point guard of the future, and guys like Mike Conley potentially angling for a move elsewhere, is Jennings really the best this team can do? If so, what does that say about their future?

Jennings has always been shot happy, a guy who enjoys playing isolation offense and taking his man on, even if some of his shot selection has been questionable at best in the past.

Is that really what you want on your team in today’s NBA, a game that has evolved considerably in the last five years alone?

He’s never averaged more than eight assists a game and while that’s easier said than done, Jennings has always carried himself like he was elite, without ever quite putting up elite numbers.

He can flat-out score, but has never averaged more than 38 percent shooting from three-point range (he averaged 37.4 percent his rookie year, when he was taking fewer long-range attemopts).

His Player Efficiency Rating has always hovered around the league average of 15 (career high 19.7).

Defensively you’re not getting much out of him either, as his last four years in the league he’s posted a negative defensive plus/minus rating.

If anything, he’s getting worse in that area, although again injury and playing for average to poor teams during that period don’t help his cause.

With all of these drawbacks then, why would the Magic want to bring him back? Well, he is talented, and is the kind of guy who needs the right situation to truly thrive. It’s not a stretch to think that a guy like Vogel could get the best out of him defensively as well.

Really though, he could find real joy here as the team’s sixth man and backup point guard. As mentioned, the guy can score, and putting the ball in the basket is something this team has struggled with badly at times.

Their bench shot 43.9 percent from the field during the season (good for 15th in the league) but watching them play, some of those possessions were ugly.

Having a guy like Jennings who can come off the bench, which he did do for this team already, in a more clearly defined role, could pay dividends.

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On top of that, it’s clear this team needs a guy who can close out games. Right now, it’s still not clear who that is, although

has been left with the ball at crunch time in the past. He’s getting there in terms of being a more clutch performer.

But Jennings has more experience and more outward confidence in himself to try and close out games.

He averaged 18 minutes a game last year (10 minutes less than his previous lowest tally) and so with more time on the court and trust put in his talents, you have to think he’d give this team more output.

It’s a risky move to make, but the Orlando Magic are trying to build a more complete roster with more cohesive parts. In Brandon Jennings, despite all of his obvious drawbacks, they could have a guy who can score in bunches, and take over a game when needed.

If he can accept this role and play within it’s limits, and if the money to bring him back is not crazy, the Magic could have themselves a long-term solution to one of the problems on their roster.

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Ironically enough, it was a guy who was in front of them the whole time. But is this the right kind of move to make for the team?