Bucks control Jennings' foreseeable future

MILWAUKEE Stop the presses, Brandon Jennings is unhappy and wants out of Milwaukee.Is anybody buying that?The Milwaukee Bucks' point guard raised a bit of a storm last week when he made comments to ESPN.com suggesting that he would look elsewhere, preferably a big-market, when his rookie contract with Milwaukee expires.The funny thing about that is Jennings' contract, signed in 2009 after he was drafted 10th overall by the Bucks, doesn't expire until after next season. Even then, there's no guarantee that Jennings will bolt for brighter pastures since the Bucks hold a qualifying offer for the 2013-2014 season that essentially makes Jennings a restricted free agent and gives Milwaukee the right to match any offer he receives from another team.And ... never mind the fact that beginning this summer, Milwaukee can offer Jennings a contract extension, not unlike teams did for Chris Paul and Dwight Howard two players that have moved on or are trying to move onto bigger markets before their rookie contracts expired.Contrary to belief, Jennings has nothing against Milwaukee. He's happy here. He's hired to do a job here. He knows the reality of the situation and isn't pouting or throwing a fit. In fact, he's doing what anybody would do in that situation: keeping an open mind to a better opportunity down the road, but still focusing on the task at hand.Isn't that how things work in the "real world," too?"Anybody with a job, you're going to keep your options open just in general," Jennings said Saturday before the Bucks' 99-94 loss to Orlando at the Bradley Center. "That doesn't mean I'm trying to leave or anything like that. It's keeping my options open. You never know what the future holds."The bottom line is this: Jennings isn't going anywhere any time soon. Worrying about something that could happen two years from now is simply a waste of time.Jennings, who was in the mix for a possible All-Star nomination, has more important things on his mind these days."We're trying to make the playoffs," Jennings said. "I didn't make the All-Star team, now i have something to look forward to that means more to the city and that's making the playoffs."With that said, forget about his comments for a moment and focus on what's important: his production and more specifically, his lack thereof in the last week or so.Up until recently, Jennings has been one of the most consistent producers on this Bucks team. He was averaging a shade under 19 points per game and his numbers were impressive enough for coaches around the league to take notice.In the last five games, though, Jennings has scored in double-digits just twice and if you take away his 24-point, eight-assist effort against Cleveland Friday night, he's averaging just 4.5 points and 4.5 assists.Those are not the numbers of a player looking to prove All-Star voters wrong. Nor are those the kinds of numbers needed to lead this team back into the playoffs as Jennings pledged is his goal for the season.Still, when looking at his entire body of work this season, there is reason to be pleased. Jennings has shown marked improvement with his shot. A 37.1 percent shooter as a rookie, Jennings is connecting at a 42 percent clip this season. Far from the ideal for a point guard, but leaps and bounds ahead of where he was even a year ago (39 percent).His three-point percentage is up from a year ago, too, though still well behind the 37.4 percent he shot as a rookie."He's struggled somewhat lately," Skiles said. "We need all of our guys to play well, especially our key players."Skiles is right. But the point guard sets the tone for the team and for the Bucks to be their best, they need Jennings to step up and put the team on his shoulders.Last year, on the way home from a season-ending victory at Oklahoma City, Jennings had a lengthy conversation with Michael Redd. The 11-year veteran and the second-year point guard talked about a number of things, including this becoming Jennings' team and his time to be "the man."With the Bucks clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot and Bogut on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, Jennings more than ever needs to step up and prove that the Bucks truly are his team.Anything for the future well, that's a discussion that's just not worth having right now. This is Jennings' time to shine and the Bucks really need him to do so. Follow Andrew Wagner on Twitter.