Originally published 12 pm on Saturday, January 14th
For a third-consecutive game, rookie Jimmer Fredette started in place of the injured Marcus Thornton. And for a third-straight time, Jimmer struggled. This is something Kings fans are beginning to expect.
This isn’t a hammer piece on the 22-year old BYU product. I won’t call him a bust or tell you the Kings made a mistake. This is about what ails this talented, young man – nothing more.
It seems there’s a huge responsibility being Jimmer Fredette. When he steps on the court, he’s playing for something bigger than just the Sacramento Kings.
He’s playing for a crowd of people who are either there to cheer him or jeer him.
Comparisons have been made between Jimmer and the Denver Broncos ultra-religious quarterback Tim Tebow. I don’t see it. Jimmer is a religious guy, with values and morals, but that’s only part of who he is. He isn’t a walking billboard for the LDS church like Tebow is for the Christian faith. He is just a young guy trying to make his way in a very noisy world.
There is an athlete that Jimmer does remind me of. A player that captured the imagination of a nation, perhaps even a continent. A player who embraced the hype and let it elevate him in every way, similar to the way Jimmer did in college.
This may seem dated, but in my eyes, Jimmer is a whole lot more Fernando Valenzuela than he is Tim Tebow.
Fernando Valenzuela you ask?
Fernando busted onto the major league baseball scene as a 19-year old phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1980 pennant chase. But, Fernandomania really began the following season when the portly young man out of Navajoa, Mexico stormed the NL, winning both the Cy Young award and the Rookie of the Year trophy. The rest, as they say, is history.
Fernando embraced the noise. He embraced the fame and each and every night, he rose above his own talent level on the backs of adoring fans.
Are you starting to understand the correlation yet?
Like Jimmer and his loyal group of LDS followers, Fernando had to carry the torch for the Mexican people. Both men achieved iconic status before they were old enough to drink. The pressure on both? Tremendous.
So why is Jimmer struggling now? What’s ailing one of the best shooters to ever play at the NCAA level?
Jimmer stopped buying in.
Somewhere along the way, Jimmer stopped believing in Jimmermania. While trying to be a good teammate or fit into an NBA locker room, Jimmer forgot what made him great – he forgot that when fans in the crowd started yelling at him to shoot, it went in a high percentage of the time.
Right now, it looks like he has the yips. Jimmer feels it and so do his teammates. There is a certain amount of hesitation in his actions. That hesitation is causing him to be what many experts believe he would become – a rotational player, but a back-up.
“I’m just trying to get into the flow, help my teammates out, try to do what is right during the game,” Jimmer said earlier this season. “Maybe there have been a couple of shots that I have turned down. I don’t think there has been too many, but there probably have been a couple.”
An video illustration of Jimmer Fredette’s hestitant play of late.
It turns out Jimmer is too nice. You can watch him ask for the ball. With the clock winding, you can almost hear the please and thank you. His teammates act accordingly, passing to the other guy, the one who is yelling at them, not the guy who is asking politely.
The coaches tell him to be more aggressive, first Paul Westphal and now Keith Smart. They know his potential, but similar to Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins, they have yet to figure out how to fully harness or unleash Jimmer’s talents.
Sure, he has a lot to learn about the NBA game. He needs to stay on the balls of his feet. He needs to slide along the three-point line to give teammates better passing lanes and he needs to find his balance. He needs to keep his dribble longer and not leave his feet to pass.
More than that, he needs to start playing the game and stop worrying about being the perfect teammate. Teammates cheer when the ball goes in the basket and they cheer when they win. Jimmer can help both those issues.
Jimmer needs to find his machismo. He needs to find the moxie that made him a great college player. He needs to harness his inner Fernando. It’s time for Jimmermania.
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Is it b'coz jimmer white??
No racism,,
I think Jimmer is nervous, coz they're Reke and Thornton,, It's just about time... when he find his rythm, We'll Know it's Jimmer...^_^,,
Jimmer needs to play exactly like he did at BYU by taking all of the good shots that come his way. His latest 20 point 7 assists game looked like he forgot where he was and just played ball. He is probably trying to fit in, and might never make it. Just do it Jimmer.
In watching the Sacramento Kings, a some facts jump out at you.
1. They are a very selfish, me-first team, and they have minimal shooting skills but play like each of them is the best player on the court with quick shots and very little team work.
2. They act like Jimmer is not on the floor when he is playing-in watching the games it seems obvious they freeze him out...as if they resent him being on the floor with them.
3. After being the go-to guy on his team for the past three years, it's obvious the freeze out has affected JImmer's confidence...he rarely even shoots, and worse, does not take the shots he used to routinely make from 25-30 feet...he has the longest range of any player in the game today but he seems unable to show it
4. Isaiah Thomas has all the confidence and energy that Jimmer lacks...he is unaffected by missing shots or a bad pass and is always on the move and that energy overwhelms the selfish attitudes of his team-mates.
If this is how Jimmer is going to be they should trade him to another team who will take advantage of his unique shooting skills and shot making ability...I would guess Phoenix would be thrilled to get him as a protege in training for Steve Nash.
I cannot help but wonder if the pre-existing players like Evans, Thornton and Cousins have told Jimmer in clear terms that this is THEIR team, not his. In the NBA the players run the show, pure and simple, and it is always going to be difficult to convince selfish players that there is a greater goal and a greater good.
As a high draft pick, not unlike Bobby Hurley was, and for obvious reasons Jimmer gets an inordinate amount of sympathy.
The one player on the Kings roster who deserves a little sympathy, is Isaiah Thomas!
Why?
He's easily the best athlete on the team.
He's tied for 2nd, in 3-Point accuracy.
He's an excellent Free-Throw shooter (86%).
He's fearless in taking a charge, even against giants!
Standing next to 6'9" players, I've seen him win rebounds, more than once.
He leads the team in assists per minute.
He's really the only Kings player capable of stimulating the offense, with his speed, ball-handling, and passing ability,
And, he's the Kings only true Point Guard!
Isaiah's two greatest weaknesses are:
1) He was born only to grow to be 5'9".
2) As a Rookie, drafted last (60th), he only makes $473,000, the lowest on the payroll, and less than 1/4 of what Jimmer gets....
So, here's a guy that needs more fan support!
He's exciting to watch, and it's only a matter of time before Coach Smart introduces him to more minutes....
My credentials....55 years of Organized Basketball!
I like him, he is a spark, hustle kind of guy, kinda like another former, smaller washinton huskie, Nate Robinson. I think his limitations, are also his strengths, but I think being a consistent difference maker will be tougher for him.
As for Jimmer, this team is an awful situation for him, this article is spot on. Ive watched almost all of the Kings games and Jimmer is missing some shots that he usually makes, but this team will be what is the major problem, it is the worst example of one on one selfish basketball I have ever seen and it is killing Jimmer who is just trying to fit in. He needs to get out as soon as possible. Certain players play better understr
Under structure is what I meant to say free wheelin one on one ball will not help Jimmer
not too many seem to share ur sentiments
I agree 110%.
All we need Jimmer to do is run around and get open at the 3pt line and shoot the damn ball. Stop trying to dribble into traffic and turning the ball over! He should be playing SG and I think its only a matter of time till Isaiah Thomas is our starting PG.
Starting Lineup:
Isaiah Thomas
Marcus Thornton
Tyreke Evans
JJ Hickson
DeMarcus Cousins
Having watched Jimmer all the way through college, I think he will make the needed adjustments and Jimmermania will begin. At BYU he was adequate his freshman and sophomore years and then blossomed for his junior and senior years. I think the same will hold true for him in the NBA. He is holding his own for now, but once he figures out the system and the professional game he will rise up to be a premiere player. By this time next year, it will be Jimmertime.
bobk333 doesn't know or see Jimmer's style of play at all. He is truly an unselfish player and a good team mate-- just ask last year's BYU players. They loved playing with him.
First and foremost, Jimmer needs to shoot more to get "hot" in a game. If he doesn't do this he will never get his mojo back. If they would use him like the Mavericks use Steve Nash he would put up 30 a night. The little things are evident: Jimmer need a high screen more often. He calls for it and guys just look blankly back. Second, he needs a big that can hit the 20 foot jumper off the pick and roll and that can finish hard (aka Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock could do both). Finally, when he penetrates he attracts all the bigs from the other team. Every time this happens he needs a slashing team mate to dish to. This has happened only occasionally. Travis outlaw and DeMarcus cousins sometimes play well with him but as soon as the ball goes to Evans or Thorton it is usually one v one and a shot. I do disagree that having him shoot more means his teammates start standing around. Now it is him standing around. When your team is shooting 30 percent and down by 25 points, it is time to demand JimmerTime. That requires some folks to lose some ego.
ur freeking hired dan, great assessment... report to kings practice tuesday and give keith anything but smart his walking papers
Good article. I can agree with a few comments that people have made, that is Jimmer is a point guard and with a team that seems to be dominated by other guards that seem to "hog" the ball more, Jimmer won't bust until that gets figured out. Whether it will be on the Kings or another team time will only tell.
Rookies that actually want to play team basketball can struggle early in their careers, especially when they go to a bad team that only plays one on one playground ball. It would also help if his teammates actually liked him instead of hating him to the point that they won't even shake his hand during practices. He might get cheered by the home fans but he is jeered by guys on his own team. What a JOKE! Fortunately he doesn't have to be in basketball hell forever and I hope he goes somewhere else as quickly as possible.
To me, Jimmer reminds me of another Sacramento, 1st Round Draft Pick, that hales from New Jersey....Bobby Hurley!
Jimmer is from New York...get a clue.
NY/NJ, whatever....Do you miss the point of comparisons much, Scott?
Hurley's accident is irrelevant to the comparison. No one knows what the future will bring....What's being compared is their similarity of abilities, which may have been over-rated!
do u miss the fact that hurley had a terrible accident
Tyreke, Thorton, Thomas... they all get their own. Jimmer needs to quit pussyfooting around and get his! He needs to get his swagger back.
Hes actually good at all those things minus the defense. But his defense has actually shown improvements. last night that was a positive on the court. As for those other things you mentioned hes struggling in those areas because hes hesitant and timid.
Jimmer has put the cart before the horse. This rookie needs to play his game, the one that got him here, he'll start hitting his shots, then and only then, worry about fitting in with the team.
Love this analysis. I agree. Jimmer's got real game, but it may take awhile for him and his teamates/coaches to find out how to maximize it.
Good article. I glad writers and fans aren't writing him off yet. (although Keith Smart seems to. Starting him, and taking him out for a quarter and a half.) Is jimmer a point or a scorer? If he took Marcus Thortons,Reke,or Salmons point of view and just shot every time he touched it, he would average 20 a game. I don't think he wants to be a ball hog, like the rest of the litter.
Good article - completely agree.