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http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Practices--Day-One-/
Jonathan Givony
We got to see a lot of five on five play in the stronger Blue squad—unofficially called “the West” because of the presence of the three players committed to UCLA, and Brandon Jennings headed to Arizona. We’ll be back at the end of the weekend to provide a full evaluation of all the players seen here based on everything we learned from the three days, but the highlight of day one was probably the matchup at the point guard spot of the Blue squad between Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday. The two both downplayed the matchup in the media session immediately following the practice -- (Jennings: “it’s just another day at the office” Holiday: “we’ve been playing against each other since the 6^th grade”) -- but there were clearly some competitive juices flowing once things got going.
Jennings started off the practice like a lightning bolt, putting his terrific court vision on display with some full-court one-handed bullet passes placed with pinpoint accuracy, and weaving in and out of traffic with the ball on a string. Jrue Holiday didn’t seem to be get the memo that the players here are preparing for an all-star game, and in his all-business, no-nonsense fashion, quietly began to set the tone for his team by picking up his intensity on the defensive end. His size, strength, wingspan and fundamentally sound defense were a little too much for the smaller Jennings to handle, and the flow of his offense really began to sputter as the tempo of the game slowed down. He looked a little bit frustrated at certain points, either pounding the ball excessively with nowhere to go, or just dishing it out passively and getting out of the way—wanting no business with Holiday, who didn’t seem to show any emotion at all.
The two are almost exact opposites—one a fundamentally sound, old-school no-nonsense throwback, and the other a brash, flashy lightning rod of a character who is seemingly always the center of attention but has more than enough game to back up his mouth. There is no question which one has more upside—Jennings regularly showed off his phenomenal athleticism with a series of 360 and tomahawk dunks—but there is also no question in this writer’s mind which player is going to win more games at the collegiate level. Don’t get us wrong—Holiday has plenty of flaws—his shot was extremely erratic today and his point guard skills unpolished, but he always made up for it with his terrific combination of intensity and basketball IQ.
At the end of the day, both players are going to the exact right programs for their individual styles, and today’s matchup was a fantastic preview of what’s in store for the entire nation next season in the Pac-10. What’s interesting is that at the very end of the practice, when the coaches decided to take score (two quick games to five), Jennings elevated his play significantly and carried his team on his back to victory. He started taking responsibilities and either blowing past the exhausted Holiday or toying with him from mid-range until he found a good shot, also getting his teammates easy baskets. It was here that he provided the highlight of the game, an incredible one-handed lefty slam that came out of absolutely nowhere.
Jonathan Givony
We got to see a lot of five on five play in the stronger Blue squad—unofficially called “the West” because of the presence of the three players committed to UCLA, and Brandon Jennings headed to Arizona. We’ll be back at the end of the weekend to provide a full evaluation of all the players seen here based on everything we learned from the three days, but the highlight of day one was probably the matchup at the point guard spot of the Blue squad between Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday. The two both downplayed the matchup in the media session immediately following the practice -- (Jennings: “it’s just another day at the office” Holiday: “we’ve been playing against each other since the 6^th grade”) -- but there were clearly some competitive juices flowing once things got going.
Jennings started off the practice like a lightning bolt, putting his terrific court vision on display with some full-court one-handed bullet passes placed with pinpoint accuracy, and weaving in and out of traffic with the ball on a string. Jrue Holiday didn’t seem to be get the memo that the players here are preparing for an all-star game, and in his all-business, no-nonsense fashion, quietly began to set the tone for his team by picking up his intensity on the defensive end. His size, strength, wingspan and fundamentally sound defense were a little too much for the smaller Jennings to handle, and the flow of his offense really began to sputter as the tempo of the game slowed down. He looked a little bit frustrated at certain points, either pounding the ball excessively with nowhere to go, or just dishing it out passively and getting out of the way—wanting no business with Holiday, who didn’t seem to show any emotion at all.
The two are almost exact opposites—one a fundamentally sound, old-school no-nonsense throwback, and the other a brash, flashy lightning rod of a character who is seemingly always the center of attention but has more than enough game to back up his mouth. There is no question which one has more upside—Jennings regularly showed off his phenomenal athleticism with a series of 360 and tomahawk dunks—but there is also no question in this writer’s mind which player is going to win more games at the collegiate level. Don’t get us wrong—Holiday has plenty of flaws—his shot was extremely erratic today and his point guard skills unpolished, but he always made up for it with his terrific combination of intensity and basketball IQ.
At the end of the day, both players are going to the exact right programs for their individual styles, and today’s matchup was a fantastic preview of what’s in store for the entire nation next season in the Pac-10. What’s interesting is that at the very end of the practice, when the coaches decided to take score (two quick games to five), Jennings elevated his play significantly and carried his team on his back to victory. He started taking responsibilities and either blowing past the exhausted Holiday or toying with him from mid-range until he found a good shot, also getting his teammates easy baskets. It was here that he provided the highlight of the game, an incredible one-handed lefty slam that came out of absolutely nowhere.
