but neither Rubio or Jennings are playing amateur ball, while theyre not NBA professionals they are still professionals nonetheless.

I will try to find some more news on him and possibly some video-links on his game in Italy, just a few remarks:

- Jennings still seems to be struggling. At least, I mean by this the fact that after more than two months of play, his position in the team does not seem to be increasing much. The ESPN article seems to refer to an important issue – that Jennings might need to step down at first and learn some things that would make him a better player in future, although losing some current (statistical) success now and here. Nevertheless, here’s short summary of his last Euroleague game from two days ago. Not only he played just 11 minutes (0 pts, 1Ast, 1Stl, 2TO, 3PF) on the roster that missed its two best players (Primos Brezec and Sani Becirovic, the November Euroleague Player of the Month), he even played less than a guy called Jacopo Giachetti, who was a third PG of the roster at the beginning of the season (tough, he is more a combo guard, I think).

- Apart from that (really sorry, but I don’t have much of insider info), he seems to have had a couple of nice Euroleague games at Lubjlana and Tau Ceramica (here and here), but his playing time is not increased and he rather struggles in the Italian domestic league. This is another, perhaps important, information – although Rome does not play well in the Italian league, they are one of the biggest surprises of the Euroleague and they lead a very strong group with the five-wins streak. There, it is a question whether their coach is supposed to initiate any significant changes of his strategies that might leat to the increase of Jennings’s impact on the game.

- Something else is very imporant in my mind, however. Unlike Rubio, who is perhaps an undisputable leader of his pretty good team, Jennings is clearly not, actually he is far from that. He is not even the first player on his post and the first PG of his team (Jaaber) is, I think, just a third or fourth player of the team (behind Becirovis, Brezec and perhaps Andy Hutson).

- Now, summarizing into one (very weak) argument, with all the lack of knowledge I have at the moment – I definitely do not see it as unambiguous that Jennings will enter the draft next year. The ESPN article, as Exhibit mentions, seems to me really a bit of establishing the foundations for a well-transferrable story for years to come. It is positive about Jennings in terms of saying that a)he is getting more mature, b)he actually can play the game. It tries to explain why he struggles in Europe, I am however not sure whether it says that he is successfully dealing with his struggles, i.e. that his game is getting better.

As I said, it might not matter at all and he can largely profit from playing in Europe and from getting mature. This, however, might need more than year, particularly if this one year is too far from begin a particularly strong.I don’t know so much about his high-school past and the situation about (not)enrolling for the college, but the issue of his maturity might be really revealed next year when he will decide what next.

According, to the ESPN article, Jennings’s salary is roughly about 550K dollars per year – although I understand this to be a net salary. He also signed about 500K per year contract with UnderArmour makng his year income about 1 million. From what I know, he has a clause he can opt out to enter the NBA draft after the year 1 and 2 of his contract, however, here is a mention of the buyout necessary for Jennings leaving Rome (not idea what it means, and his whole income is specified here as 1.2 Mper year).

Basically, he would not lose financially if he entered the NBA next year. Even if he would not be a top5 or top10 pick, which is quite possible after his weaker performance this year, his salary should perhaps top what he receives from Roma this year (I really thought that his salary would be higher).

On the other hand, he might lose much if he entered after the year he now seems to have. Remember some in-Europe-grown projects that entered the NBA in last few years and compare very young and immature talents such as Milicic, Bargnani, Sergion Rodriguez (although I believe at least the latter two to be a potential star prospects) and many others not so much hyped players, and young prospects such as Fernandez, Marc Gasol, or even Jose Calderon (and partially Tony Parker). If maturity is a concern of Jennings and if he is really progressing in these terms in Rome, he might have much better chances to establish himself and get a better name in two years than he has in one and make much better in the 2010 draft – particularly as there seems to be a nice supply of pointguards).

Finally, referring to the next year draft – it seems to me that Kings should draft a talent, period. Yes, a PG is the most needed post right now, but I would rather trade down and bring something additional than just leave a nice big man or even a SG in aim to get a not so brilliant PG. Kings have some needs, but they do not have to be necessarily resolved through direct drafting.