NBA

Bucks’ Brandon Jennings: Knicks missed the point during draft

MILWAUKEE — Bucks rookie point guard Brandon Jennings figured he would make the perfect Knicks tandem with LeBron James in 2010. So when the Knicks were at-bat with the eighth pick on draft night last June, Jennings was sure he was their guy after Stephen Curry was taken with the seventh pick by Golden State.

It didn’t happen. The Knicks took Jordan Hill and were booed as Jennings stewed. Hill was out of the Knicks’ rotation until he played four minutes in the second quarter Friday and 12:49 in last night’s 102-87 loss to the Bucks. Coach Mike D’Antoni said he will continue to spot Hill.

Jennings has incited life into the Bucks with a terrific start to the season, scoring 17 points and three assists in 23 minutes last night in outclassing Chris Duhon.

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“They needed a point guard, LeBron was coming in 2010. I was thinking, ‘Oh man, here we go, here it is,’ ” Jennings said last night before facing the Knicks for the first time. “I was a little upset. New York was one of my No. 1 teams.”

A little upset? Jennings was unknowingly caught on video profanely cursing out the Knicks with a rapper days after the draft — an incident that got him a reprimand from the Bucks. “[Bleep] the Knicks,” Jennings said on the tape. “Them [expletive] is always going to be weak.”

Yes, Jennings is still stunned the Knicks did not select him, but has cleaned up the dialogue. Jennings said he felt he outplayed Tyreke Evans in a workout for the Knicks. Evans was selected fourth by the Kings.

“I had a great workout with them,” Jennings said. “I thought their system fit my game best. Up and down.”

Knicks president Donnie Walsh made a damning statement Friday, saying he didn’t “have a good enough feel” for Jennings’ game. Jennings leapt from high school to Italy last season.

“I thought I showed them enough in the workout on one-on-one drills, beating everyone else up and down the court, playing defense,” Jennings said. “I thought me and D’Antoni would have a good relationship, speak a little Italian together and go to Italian restaurants. I seen what he did for Steve Nash.”

D’Antoni said it’s too early to brand the Hill pick a mistake, though a source said the Knicks’ scouts were higher on Hill than was the coaching staff. D’Antoni hopes his last two stints will get Hill going.

“I felt happy for him because he hasn’t had much of a chance,” D’Antoni said of Hill’s Friday cameo.

“We liked Jordan Hill, we knew [Brandon] was good,” the coach said. “He had a good workout. We liked him. The consensus was Jordan Hill is a better talent. We also took Jordan at a spot we had a lot of guys. We just thought he was the best talent at that time. It’s too early to make an assessment either way. Brandon has played well.”