"It's encore time for Brandon Jennings, and that promises to be a difficult task.

As a rookie, the 6-foot-1 point guard started 89 games, including seven in the playoffs.

He scored an NBA season-high 55 points in just his seventh game as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks - and the outrageous outburst came after not scoring a single point in the first quarter that night against the Golden State Warriors.

And he nearly posted a triple-double in his NBA debut when he had 17 points, nine assists and nine rebounds on opening night in Philadelphia.

When Jennings finally had time to catch his breath at the end of the season, he was the only member of the elite rookie trio (also including Sacramento's Tyreke Evans and Golden State's Stephen Curry) to reach the playoffs. He had averaged 15.5 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds.

So what's the 21-year-old supposed to do this season?

He's already dropped a few hints about it, talking about helping lead his team to a 50-victory season in an even tougher Eastern Conference and winning a playoff series.

It all begins with a matchup against New Orleans' Chris Paul in the opener Wednesday night.

"Just come out how we did last year," Jennings said. "We started 8-3 and nobody expected us to do that. We just want to come out big again this year."

But sophomore slumps have been known to happen and Jennings wants to avoid a dip in his play.

"I think what I have over a lot of other rookies is we made the playoffs my first year and I was able to experience that," Jennings said. "I was harping on making the playoffs and we did it, so that just sets my goals even higher. You get a taste of it and you want to get back there again."

Jennings would like to increase his assist total and has set a goal of averaging double-figures in assists. Even with help from a deep Bucks roster and the return to health of center Andrew Bogut, that's a formidable task for Jennings, who would need to add four-plus assists per game to last year's average.

"Of course it's going to be tough for 82 games," Jennings said. "But I think with the talent we have and the people we have that can score the basketball, I think I'm capable of doing it.

"With a healthy Bogut, I feel I can average double figures in assists."

Bucks coach Scott Skiles will continue to demand more of Jennings and sees the potential for improvement on both offense and defense.

Opponents like to put Jennings in a pick-and-roll sandwich where he has to fight through big bodies and defend more physical point guards in the paint.

"He really improved last year as the season went along on the defensive end," Skiles said. "He gives up size to these guys, but he's a willing defender and he has good hands and good feet."