New York Knicks president Phil Jackson is already working his Zen mind games on free agent acquisition Brandon Jennings. Sometimes Jackson likes to take on players as a project to bring out the best of what they are capable of doing in unusual ways.
Jennings spoke with ESPN about their conversation and what he feels about the upcoming season:
(Phil) said he expects me to be sixth man of the year, so I’m definitely gonna embrace that role. I don’t see why I can’t be in that conversation, and I’m fine with it. I’m definitely fine with it.
Surely Jennings was never going to start over Derrick Rose, but Jackson seemed to be aiming at making Jennings own what he envisioned as the Knicks' sixth man, instead of approaching it as an ordinary roster placement.
Jennings sounded confident in the team that's being put together, and while they look good on paper, they'll have to go out and prove it once the season begins. Half of the starting unit struggled in the past with injuries, so their status is in question until they prove otherwise. Jennings however remains optimistic about their chances:
I feel like we can compete with anybody in the East right now. The East did get better; the Bulls got better of course and the Cavs are still the Cavs, but I don’t see why we can’t be in that top-five conversation. We have the talent. The main thing is we just got to stay healthy.
Jennings is coming in on a one-year deal for $5 million dollars, so he also has something to prove if he plans to make New York his home beyond 2017. He told ESPN:
I definitely have a chip on my shoulder. I just want to prove that I’m back to who I am and that I can still play, I can still go and I’m healthy. I think the main thing is just showing people that I’m healthy and I’m back, and that I can still run a team.
Jennings, who also is coming off of a season where he spent half of the year rehabbing a torn achilles tendon, averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game for the Orlando Magic last season, well below his career averages. His one-year deal gives him some motivation to come out and prove he still has value in the NBA, and if he plays well enough he can earn a big payday when the NBA salary cap will jump even higher over the $100 million dollar mark in the summer of 2017.
Phil believes the best way for Jennings to do that is to embrace his role as a sixth man. He wants him to take it personally and to go out and compete for the award. Not only would that benefit Jennings, but it would tremendously benefit the Knicks, who signed a group of free agents to compete in win-now mode.
Jennings knows whats at stake and he's ready to take on the challenge. A little help from Jackson didn't hurt either.
Maybe his Zen believe in yourself speech is already psychologically working on Jennings. Maybe Phil doesn't really believe he can do it, but he has given him the magic formula for having a great season nonetheless.
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