NBA Draft 2011: Will Jimmer Fredette Live Up to His Draft Selection?
The 2011 NBA Draft is just a month and a half away, and analysts are already speculating as to where former Brigham Young star guard Jimmer Fredette will end up. An even bigger topic of conversation is how well his game will translate to the NBA.
As of now, the electrifying shooter is expected by some experts to be picked within the Top 15. Given Fredette's style of play, that seems like a generous spotting. More often than not, I have said in previous pieces that Fredette will struggle to transition to the NBA.
Yet, that is not to say that the young man from Glens Falls, NY will not ultimately be successful on the professional level. Here are five aspects of his game he must work on in order to ensure that he is taken as early as the Top 15 in the first round.
Defense
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To put it bluntly, one of Fredette's biggest flaws as a player is his lack of effort on defense. He's pretty small at 6'2", 195 pounds and despite averaging 1.2 steals per game over the course of his four-year college career, that isn't going to repeat itself in the NBA.
Given his size, it's pretty obvious that NBA teams will see Fredette as a point guard as well as a good shooter. That being said, he really needs to work on his defensive athleticism. Otherwise, he'll just be another great college player who couldn't repeat his success in the NBA.
Hopefully, he'll learn how to play on the other side of the court for the sake of his future.
Passing
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In watching BYU during the college basketball season and during the NCAA Tournament, I noticed something about Fredette. He rarely ever passes the ball. After doing some research, I found out that he only averaged 3.4 assists per game in four years with BYU.
Simply put, this is unacceptable. Keep in mind, Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets averaged 10.3 assists per game this past season and also averaged 20.1 points. That alone is proof that an NBA point guard can be effective both as a shooter and a passer.
Fredette averaged 18.5 points per game in his college career and led the nation in scoring with 28.5 points per game as a senior. If he is going to play in the NBA, he needs to prove to scouts and coaches that he isn't going to just throw up shots when he has the ball. This is the pros, and he will have no choice but to share the rock if he is to be successful.
Inside Scoring
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If there's one thing that Jimmer Fredette can do, it's shoot the ball. Honestly, he might have the prettiest jump shot I've ever seen in all my years of watching college basketball. Yet, his reliance on his jump shot might prove to be his enemy.
Much like former Chicago Bulls guard Steve Kerr, Fredette has basically become a mid-to-long range jumper/three-point shooting aficionado. As talented as he is on offense and as accurate as his shot may be, his game is very one-sided. His jumper is beautiful, but he struggles when it comes to penetrating defenses and driving hard to the basket.
NBA teams don't want a point guard who just shoots the lights out. They want a player who can do that and also crash the lane hard to draw a foul. Fredette simply does not do this, and must prove he can improve that part of his game before Draft Day.
Willingness to Learn
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This might be the one facet of Fredette's game that needs the least amount of work. BYU coach Dave Rose has had nothing but good things to say about the young guard, so it's pretty clear that Fredette responds well to coaching.
Yet, the NBA will be a strong departure (team depending) from the shoot-first offense that Fredette has grown accustomed to the past few years. Chances are that once he reaches the pros, his new coach will want him to play more conservatively and create scoring opportunities that are more than just him chucking the ball at the rim.
Honestly, I'm not too worried about Fredette in this department. Based on interview footage alone, he seems like a decent human being and not a head case at all. Regardless of where he ends up, he'll be more than willing to learn his new coach's system.
Maturity
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This aspect of Fredette's game is probably going to be the most interesting to watch. For the past two or three seasons, he has been used to being the star of the show. He was the leader of that BYU squad and an alpha dog in every way, shape and form.
Yet, when he turns pro, it's a certainty that Fredette will not be placed in that role. If anything, at least to start, he will be a bench player who enters games to provide some offense while the starters rest. He will not be the leader he was in college.
I'm not a mind-reader, but that's going to be hard for Fredette. He is so used to putting the team on his back and carrying them to victory and in the NBA, he won't be able to play that role immediately. If he handles the change well, good for him. If not, his professional career will be in serious jeopardy.
