Jennings determined to help Knicks advance past 1st round of playoffs
Although Brandon Jennings has yet to suit up in a single game for the New York Knicks, he already has his sights set on helping the team return to the postseason.
The Knicks have missed the playoffs for three straight years and made numerous offseason additions - including Jennings - in hopes of changing that.
The 6-foot-1 point guard won't be satisfied with just making it to the big dance, though.
"Playoffs is good, but just making the first round isn't good enough," Jennings said recently on Anthony Donahue's "33rd and 7th" podcast. "So I'm going to go out on a limb and put a little more pressure on us. If we make the playoffs, we've got to get out of the first round."
Deep playoff runs have come few and far between for New York this millennium, with the squad's second-round exit in 2012-13 representing its longest run since 1999-2000.
Jennings himself hasn't made it out of the opening round, having had two tries with the Milwaukee Bucks. Still, he has faith in the newest incarnation of the Knicks, citing that many of his teammates are hungry - especially those who are coming off of off years, like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and himself.
A year and a half after suffering an Achilles injury, Jennings has joined N.Y. on a one-year, $5-million deal. He said he feels "good" and wants to prove he can still play.
"I'm as hungry as I've ever been now," he declared. "I'm on a one-year deal. I'm coming off an Achilles injury, everybody wrote me off. So right now I'm hungry, I'm more hungry than ever."
The 26-year-old was a starter his whole career leading up to rupturing his left Achilles tendon. Since returning, he's seen his role diminish, only coming off the bench last season.
Jennings will play behind Rose in the Big Apple, which he said he doesn't mind, and intends to enter each game playing aggressively with the goal of helping his club succeed.
"Right now I just want to win, man," he said. "I just want to be in a winning environment. I'm in the biggest market, the greatest basketball city, the Mecca, so who cares (about coming off the bench)? Let's just win. We win, the whole city loves us."
The former first-round pick is coming off the worst statistical season of his career, having recorded just 6.9 points, two rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 18 minutes per game while continuing to deal with foot ailments in 2015-16.