Jack Cooley: Jimmer Fredette Belongs in NBA; 'No Way There's 300 People Better'
Former Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings power forward Jack Cooley said Jimmer Fredette deserves another shot at making an NBA roster.
On Wednesday, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News provided comments from Cooley as he plays alongside Fredette in The Basketball Tournament.
"There's no way there's 300 people better than him in basketball. No way," he said. "I absolutely think he should be in the NBA. ... I don't think there's a team that has 15 guys better than him. I don't see it."
Fredette is averaging 32.8 points to lead the tournament and showcasing the offensive talent that made him a collegiate sensation at BYU.
Cooley, who's played 23 NBA games across two seasons since completing his collegiate career at Notre Dame in 2013, said the performances have been made more impressive since stopping the 6'2" guard is always the opponent's top priority, per Genessy.
"Other teams' entire strategy is to stop him, and it doesn't help," said Cooley, who signed a contract to play in Italy next season. "The way he gets the offense, the way he creates, the way he helps his teams is just fantastic. Our team is built around him."
The 29-year-old New York native struggled to make a consistent impact across 235 NBA games with the Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks. He averaged 6.0 points and 1.4 assists while shooting 41.2 percent from the field.
He's found more success with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He's earned two straight CBA All-Star Game selections and was named the league's International MVP for the 2016-17 season.
Last week, Fredette told Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated he's got one year left on his deal with the Sharks and would then explore a potential NBA return.
"It's just always nice to play in front of American audiences again," he said. "You never know who is watching, but at this point, I'm just trying to get better as a player and have fun doing it. I have one year left in China for my contract, but after that, I'll be a free agent and we'll see what's out there."
The three-point marksman added his style of play is probably more suited for the current NBA, which is heavily focused on perimeter offense, than it was after he was drafted in 2011, per Shapiro:
"Things have changed a lot from when I entered the league with three-point shooting now at a real premium as well as guys who can really hit the deep threes and give their superstars space to operate. There's a lot of transition, a lot of moving the ball, things I excel in, so I think the league has really changed to my favor since I got into the NBA."
Cooley and the rest of second-seeded Team Fredette will continue their quest for The Basketball Tournament title Thursday night when they take on the Eberlein Drive in the semifinals.
