Does Jimmer Fredette Need a Fresh Start to Fulfill His NBA Potential?

Jimmer Fredette will likely never become a star, but a good step toward competence would be a few steps away from Sacramento. This is less of an indictment of him than of the Kings organization. Nobody knows where the team will be next year, and the Maloofs have everything to suggest that they have little grasp of what goes on outside.

Some organizations create value out of the ether. San Antonio drafted Kawhi Leonard, and he suddenly had a three-point shot. This kind of thing happens on a well-run team. Adequate players become good, good players become great. Not every draft pick has a definite value that gets revealed over the course of his career. Teams play a large part in how or if a prospect improves.

I fear that the Kings are not great for emerging players. They've had six straight lottery seasons, and next year should be a seventh. They've had squabbles between coaches and players (via CBS local), squabbles between players and players (via Sactown Royalty). The chaotic, rudderless franchise just doesn't appear to be the best place for a struggling player like Jimmer Fredette.

To be fair, Isaiah Thomas was a rookie stud in Sac-town, and DeMarcus Cousins has shown improvement. But the stagnating play of Tyreke Evans makes one wonder how Fredette's supposed to improve.

Evans was a fast riser, Rookie of the Year, thanks to a swift spin move and nasty Eurostep.  

He's ceased progressing since. And though injuries can be blamed, his manner of play raises concerns. Defenses starting "downing" Reke,'' preventing him from driving to his favored right side. For a long time, there simply wasn't a counter move to this counter. It was as though Evans arrived with a skill set, succeeded with that skill set, and then there was no building upon what he came with. 

If Jimmer suffers a similar fate, his career is doomed. Fredette lacks Evans talent, and he currently plays a style that doesn't exactly fit that talent. His ball dominance and constant shooting may have played at BYU, but it's problematic at the next level. Take a gander at these brutal Summer League tweets from ESPN's David Thorpe.  

"

When I first watched Brandon Jennings play, in Vegas, I thought his teammates must love playing alongside him. It's the opposite with Jimmer

— david b. thorpe (@coachthorpe) July 16, 2012"

"

Jacker Fredette, er, Jimmer, seems to be on a personal mission to enrage his teammates.Black eye could be coming. It's comical actually.

— david b. thorpe (@coachthorpe) July 16, 2012"

It's hard for Jimmer to justify such shot selection after a brutal rookie season. Fredette was a measly .386 from the field and a general sieve on defense. On the upside, he did shoot .361 from three-point land, and he had a decent game against the Grizzlies.

Jimmer's not a completely lost cause, but he's on the kind of team that loses careers.