New York Knicks: What We Learned From The Loss To The Orlando Magic

5. Brandon Jennings Shows Up When He’s Needed

For the second consecutive game, sixth man Brandon Jennings stepped up with a tremendous performance. With the Knicks’ defense sputtering again, Jennings took it upon himself to make sure the offense stayed in the hunt.

If nothing else can be taken as a reason for optimism, then it’s becoming clear that Jennings is the game changer that Phil Jackson signed him to be.

Jennings stepped up with 12 points, four assists, three rebounds, and an offensive board in 24 minutes for the Knicks. He shot 4-of-9 from the field, 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and 2-of-3 from the free throw line on another productive evening.

On a night where no one else seemed to bring it for four quarters, Jennings had the intensity and tenacity that the Knicks have been desperately longing for.

Jennings had a recent cold scoring stretch of four games, but he managed to facilitate when his shot wasn’t falling. The issue that he has is not knowing when to go from a scorer’s mentality to that of a facilitator with a team that isn’t supporting him in an adequate manner.

The Knicks haven’t given fans many reasons for optimism, but Jennings continues to be a beacon of hope.