MILWAUKEE -- Is it possible that Milwaukee Bucks fans can feel even better about Brandon Jennings after a loss Monday night than they could after his 55-point effort on Saturday?
It is.
Absent was the guy challenging NBA-TV's Eric Snow to a one-on-one match over the summer. Gone was the brash kid who said he was better than Ricky Rubio. In the locker room after the Bucks' heartbreaking overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks was a point guard who shouldered all the responsibility for his team's defeat. Those maturity and character questions Jennings faced throughout the draft process? We can put those to rest. Jennings was despondent that he couldn't pull out a win for his teammates who worked so hard to help bring the Bucks back from an 18-point third-quarter deficit.
I'm not sure too many rookies can score 25 points, grab seven rebounds and dish out eight assists and be so eager to take the blame for not making the right decision on their team's last possession.
"Ersan's [Ilyasova] man had doubled me. When I looked back over the tape he was wide open for the jump shot. This is something I'm going to learn from. It's a long season," Jennings said.
Jennings wanted it to be known that this one was on him.
"At one point we were down 20 and we could have just thrown in the towel. I was 100 percent sure we were going to win in overtime. I'm kind of taking this one to the heart. You know, I feel like this one's my fault we didn't win that game."
So the Bucks may have lost this one, but judging from Brandon Jennings' postgame demeanor, don't expect him to allow losing to become a habit.
But hey we are having team meeting and getting ****ing blown out every game. Nice scouting Donnie.