Jimmer Fredette entered the NBA with a lot of hype surrounding him, some of which was self-inflicted. The BYU standout was the subject of national news stories, numerous YouTube videos following his daily life and basketball career before he had even stepped on an NBA court.
He was the leading scorer in all of NCAA Division I and led his team deep into March Madness. He was eventually picked by the Sacramento Kings in the lottery, due to his shooting ability and college poster boy image. It was Jimmer Time.
Jimmer Time didn’t last long. There were glaring weaknesses in Fredette’s game that were exposed once he took the step up to the next level. When playing against guys with NBA bodies and at an elite pace, his lack of defence and athleticism became a real worry.
Since being drafted in 2011, Fredette has played for the Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks and New York’s NBA D-League outfit, the Westchester Knicks.
Over five years, he has played the role of a journeyman and even dropped down to the developmental branch of the NBA to play in Westchester. This can be a slog for many, as the treatment of players declines and it is less financially beneficial.
Fredette could take his talent to Europe or Asia to play for a team that would pay him handsomely but that is not his dream; his dream is still to find a consistant role on an NBA team.
The twenty-seven year old now finds himself with another NBA opportunity, this time with the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have afforded the chance of playing in the Summer League to Fredette and he is making the most of it.
Fredette has impressed in the Summer League, helping the Denver team to reach the quarterfinals and showcase some of his ability to any NBA front office staff that may be watching. He seems optimistic when speaking to Deseret News.
“You just got to have fun with it. It’s a job. You go out there. It’s a game that I love and I want to continue to play. I know that I’ll have a job somewhere. You’ve just got to go out there and put your best foot forward.”
Fredette was honest about what he needs to improve in his game and how he can be effective.
“I’ve got to continue to work on everything. Defensively, I really feel like I’ve progressed and gotten better. Passing the basketball I’ve gotten better at that. I feel like I’m better than I’ve ever been and I’ve got to continue to work to get better.”
It is unclear just where exactly Fredette stands at the moment as an NBA player, but there is no way of knocking his determination.
“Who knows? I have no idea at this point. I’m just trying to focus on playing my game and playing well and whatever happens afterwards we’ll see.”
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