We know that Jimmer Fredette is a tremendous college player. Nothing that Fredette could do in the 2011 NCAA Tournament could change anyone’s opinions about that. Nothing that Fredette does can even affect his college legacy as a whole. But what can Fredette do to show he’s a legitimate NBA prospect?
Jimmer Fredette Tries To Prove Doubters Wrong In 2011 NCAA Tournament
It’s a good question. NBA scouts are very divided about Fredette, with some really confident about his game and others not so sure. Most agree that he has good scoring capability, but is going to have trouble playing defense on the NBA level. The question then is whether Fredette has the kind of scoring capability that can translate to the NBA level.
There are a few obvious comparisons to Fredette. The easy one is Adam Morrison, the former Gonzaga star who didn’t make it in the league. It’s a somewhat unfair comparison, but it is not without some merit. Morrison succeeded in college because of his ability to hit difficult shots and shoot over his opponents. Fredette is succeeding because he’s able to find angles and take shots that many NBA defenders could snuff out. Both were efficient high-usage scorers for teams that needed them to be efficient high-usage scorers.
The more favorable comparison might be former Davidson guard Stephen Curry, who had three outstanding years as a scorer, then slumped his senior year as he tried to be more of a playmaker. Fredette’s playmaking ability compares favorably to Curry, all the way up until Curry’s senior year. That senior year enabled Curry to be passable as a point guard in the NBA, whereas Fredette never got that opportunity.
All this said, Fredette should find a place in the NBA. He’s too clever a scorer not to, and there’s no reason why he couldn’t be a reserve-type player that runs off baseline screens and can set people up in a pinch. Teams will just have to limit his role and live with him being a poor defender.
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WHO: Jimmer Fredette, guard, BYU. 6’2, 195 pounds. Perimeter scorer.
WHEN: Thursday, March 17 at 7:15 PM Eastern, BYU vs. Wofford, CBS.
PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION: Fans of the Knicks (D’Antoni would love him)
NBA COMPARISON: What Juan Dixon should have been
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