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New York Knicks: 5 Reasons Brandon Jennings Can Win Most Improved Player

By Maxwell Ogden

Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Brandon Jennings addresses the media during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Brandon Jennings addresses the media during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 6, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) leaves the court on his crutches after the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons beat the Nuggets 98-88. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) leaves the court on his crutches after the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons beat the Nuggets 98-88. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

4. The Injury

Brandon Jennings isn’t coming off of a common injury or an average season of inconsistency. Achilles tendon injuries have been the death sentence for many NBA players, and there’s no guaranteeing that Jennings will return to high-quality form.

See: Chauncey Billups, Elton Brand, Kobe Bryant, Voshon Leonard, Mehmet Okur, and Gerald Wilkins for prime examples of what an achilles injury can do to a player.

It’s often said in passing, but the severity of this injury is nothing to downplay or overlook. Jennings suffered a career-threatening rupture of his achilles tendon—an occurrence that has drastically altered his career.

Jennings has 416 career regular season starts and 11 postseason starts, yet he was forced to settle for a one-year deal worth $5 million during an offseason of free and irresponsible spending..

If Jennings manages to come back strong and perform at a high level, then it’d be impossible to leave his name out of this discussion. Most Improved Player isn’t Comeback Player of the Year, but that’s where 2015-16 comes into play.

Jennings was active for 48 games in 2015-16, which establishes the grounds for evaluating his improvement from a post-injury state.

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