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NBA: 20 Players Looking To Shed ‘Injury-Prone’ Label In 2016-17

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 21, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) is defended by Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) during the second quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) is defended by Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) during the second quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 2, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) gestures after a basket during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Detroit Pistons won 97-81. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

19. Brandon Jennings

Ever since Brandon Jennings tore his Achilles halfway through the 2014-15 season, he hasn’t been the same. He’s played a grand total of 88 games over the last two years, and now the New York Knicks will be relying on him as a backup point guard/potential replacement for Derrick Rose if (and when) he’s banged up.

Though Jennings was never the most efficient player, topping 40 percent shooting just twice in his seven-year NBA career, there’s no question that career-altering injury changed expectations for his place in the league.

In his 41 games with the Pistons leading up to his Achilles tear, Jennings averaged 15.4 points and 6.6 assists per game on .401/.360/.839 shooting splits. In 48 games split between the Pistons and Orlando Magic last year, those numbers plummeted to 6.9 points and 3.5 assists per game on .368/.329/.731 shooting.

The Knicks won’t need Jennings to put up numbers like he once did with the Milwaukee Bucks, but they’d probably prefer him to be a touch more efficient. Jennings is only 26 years old, but after missing 75 games over the last two seasons, his career is reaching a defining moment. Can he reinvent himself as a useful backup? Or are his days of being a productive NBA player over?

Next: No. 18