New York Knicks: One Change Every Starter Must Make After All-Star Break

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Feb 12, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Brandon Jennings (3) passes around San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills (8) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

Brandon Jennings: Less Hesitation

Position: Sixth Man
Age: 27 (9/23/1989)
Experience: 8th Season
2016-17 Slash Line: .383/.340/.758
2016-17 Season Averages: 24.8 MPG, 8.7 PPG, 5.0 APG, 2.6 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 1.2 3PM

Though one could fairly criticize his inefficiency, statistics don’t do Brandon Jennings justice. He’s brought an invaluable energy to a New York Knicks team that may not always execute when he’s on the floor, but can count on him for pure effort and tenacity.

Though it’s understandable for a player who’s in their first full season since rupturing their achilles tendon to be tentative, Jennings simply needs to be less hesitant to shoot.

Jennings has done an outstanding job of recognizing opportunities to facilitate and getting passes from Point A to Point B. He’s averaging a team-high 7.2 assists per 36 minutes and, true to form, has done an excellent job of limiting his turnovers.

The reasons for Jennings’ poor shooting percentages, however, is that he’s approaching scoring with what’s essentially the opposite mentality.

Rather than shooting when shots present themselves, Jennings appears to be questioning himself. This is an issue that head coach Jeff Hornacek has discussed at length in 2016-17, as it seems to be the only thing holding Jennings back on offense.

Every player needs to step up on defense, but if New York is going to win, Jennings will need to react to what he sees instead of overthinking.

Must Read: Which New York Knicks stars have the most career All-Star Game appearances?

The New York Knicks have time to salvage the 2016-17 NBA regular season, but the time for improvement is now.

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