NBA Draft 2011: 5 Reasons Why Jimmer Fredette Is Destined for Phoenix Suns

After Tuesday's riveting lottery, the 2011 NBA Draft order is set. The Phoenix Suns, as projected, will pick 13th, hoping to accelerate their rebuilding transition with an impact player.

BYU guard and National Player of the Year Jimmer Fredette is currently unemployed and looking for work in the NBA. He's a hard worker, a team player and willing to relocate. 

The Suns and Fredette present arguably the best player-team combination of any in this draft. Fredette's marksmanlike shooting range, fast break ability and disregard for on-ball defense make him the ideal fit for Phoenix's style.

Fredette, a college player unlike any we've seen recently, arrives at the perfect time for the Suns, who are on the precipice of the post-Steve Nash Era.

Here are five reasons why Jimmer Fredette and the Phoenix Suns are destined for a wedding in late June. 

The Suns Need Jimmer

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

DENVER, CO - MARCH 17: Jimmer Fredette #32 of the Brigham Young Cougars shoots the ball over Brad Loesing #35 of the Wofford Terriers during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Pepsi Center on March 17, 2011 in Denver, Colora

Jimmer Fredette's strengths: spot-up shooting, running the floor (with or without the ball), breaking down the defense with penetration and finishing cleverly in the paint

With Steve Nash running the point, doesn't it make perfect sense for Fredette to step into the Suns' opening at shooting guard? He can basically stand on the three-point line ready to shoot, which minimizes his weaknesses, and penetrate when defenses come out too far.

The Suns have the expiring contract of Grant Hill, Josh Childress and Mickael Pietrus on the depth chart at shooting guard.

Should it bother Alvin Gentry that none of those guys can shoot?

Yes, it should.

Should he do everything in his power to get the best shooting prospect in this draft and start him immediately?

Yes, he should. 

The Suns Provide the Perfect Training Ground for Jimmer

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 12: Jimmer Fredette #32 of the Brigham Young University Cougars shoots a jump shot during the championship game of the Conoco Mountain West Conference Basketball tournament against the San Diego State Aztecs at the Thomas & Mack Cen

At BYU, Jimmer Fredette had free reign to take any shot he wanted. He was the heart and soul of the Cougars, their only hope of success.

Twenty-one times Fredette exceeded 20 shots in a game. He shot his team out of a few games, but also led them to a win by pouring in bundles of points.

The moral of the story is that Jimmer is accustomed to shooting a lot and dominating the ball. Any transition to the NBA and a new team's system is hard.

It's like graduating eighth grade on top of the world, only to find yourself at the bottom of the totem pole as a high school freshman.

Fredette's transition will definitely require adjustment and patience, but is there a more favorable system to move into for a player so used to shooting and scoring as he is?

With the amount of shots that the Suns get up, seventh most in the NBA, it is reasonable to project Fredette averaging around 13-15 per game.

That is a very healthy number for an NBA rookie.

The Suns aren't good for many young players and their development. For such a unique player and collegiate background as Jimmer Fredette's, the desert might just be a situation that optimizes his contribution.

Nobody Else Will Take Jimmer so Early

Bob Levey/Getty Images

HOUSTON - APRIL 03: Jimmer Fredette of BYU received the 2011 Naismith Trophy Presented by AT&T at the NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Program on April 3, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

It's inconceivable that a consensus National Player of the Year would be on the draft board so long as Jimmer Fredette is projected to be.

Since 1997, only two National Player of the Year winners have been taken 13th or lower in the first round, Jameer Nelson at 20th in 2004 and Tyler Hansbrough at 13th in 2009. 

Many questions swirl around Fredette: is he athletic enough to survive in the NBA? Is he too small at 6'2" to play point guard? Does he have any marketable skill aside from shooting? 

These concerns have teams backing away from Fredette in favor of more exciting and promising prospects like Markieff Morris, Tristan Thompson, Bismack Biyombo, Jonas Valanciunas and Alec Burks.

It's not that other prospects are better than Fredette right now, but talent evaluators don't see Fredette improving any more than he has already. For many, he's a completely known commodity without much upside.  

Because of this, the Suns are likely to find their guy available when they take the clock with the 13th pick.  

The Suns Couldn't Have a Better Fanbase for Jimmer

...except for Utah's (for obvious reasons). 

The Suns do play an entertaining brand of basketball, but the appetite for the NBA in Phoenix transcends the team's style. The Suns have one of the most supportive and energetic crowds in the NBA.

Throw in the fact that Phoenix is located just 616 miles from Fredette's alma mater, and the Suns have themselves a savvy business move in drafting the 2011 NBA Draft's lone cult hero.

Ticket and jersey sales will increase significantly in reaction to Jimmer because he is both exciting and unique.

This is the kind of fan base that rallies behind players in spite of owner Robert Sarver's cheapskate ways, and Fredette has all the makings of a fan favorite. 

Jimmer Is the Appropriate Replacement for Steve Nash

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PHOENIX, AZ - JANUARY 05: Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at US Airways Center on January 5, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 99-95. NOTE TO USER: User expressl

This is the most important reason why Jimmer Fredette is destined to play for the Phoenix Suns. 

Steve Nash is 37 years old, a veteran of 15 seasons, with one year remaining on his contract. There's always the possibility of him signing a new deal with Phoenix, but why would he keep repeating one and two-year deals?

His current deal was a two-year extension, probably constructed to give him the freedom to look hard at retirement after 2012.

My feeling is that, even though Nash still plays at an All-Star level, he will retire at the end of next year.

The Suns are on the way down and haven't yet hit rock bottom, so Nash has no disillusions about their chances of winning that elusive championship. Whether he's traded or retired, Nash won't be a Phoenix Sun in October 2012.

Jimmer Fredette is an identically-sized guard that doesn't handle the ball or find teammates as well as Nash, but scores better. He can run and is up to snuff with Nash athletically.

Sure, the system would need a little tweaking to account for the differences that Jimmer presents, but there's no reason that Jimmer Fredette isn't the ideal man to succeed Steve Nash as the general of the Suns.  

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