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By ALEX Twitter.com/aventre09 For the first and only time this season, Glens Falls native Jimmer Fredette returns to play in his home state when the New York Knicks host the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
By ALEX Twitter.com/aventre09 For the first and only time this season, Glens Falls native Jimmer Fredette returns to play in his home state when the New York Knicks host the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.Through the first 27 games of his rookie campaign, the 6-foot-2 Fredette has struggled mightily. After leading BYU to its first Sweet 16 appearance in 20 years and garnering the 2011 James Naismith Men?s College Basketball Player of the Year Award, Fredette was selected with the 10th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and was immediately traded to Sacramento as part of a three-team deal, thus beginning the professional career of the former Glens Falls Indian.Prior to the draft, NBA scouts projected a wide variety of outcomes for Fredette?s professional career. Some thought he could develop into a full-time starting point guard while others visualized Fredette as a dynamic sixth man who could provide instant offense off the bench.Doubters, on the other hand, believed that Fredette lacked a true position. They thought he didn?t possess the quarterbacking skills required to play point guard and wasn?t blessed with the height or athletic ability to slide over to the shooting guard position. And through the first seven weeks of Fredette?s NBA tenure, it appears the naysayers? projection is more accurate.While at BYU, Fredette was a prolific scorer and as a senior, he led the nation with a 28.5 points per game average. Fredette possessed unlimited range with his jump shot or he could break down defenses and get to the basket, all while controlling the reins of the Cougars? offense.However, NBA players are a completely different breed than those of the Mountain West Conference. They?re bigger, faster and stronger and so far, professional defenses have been able to stymie Fredette?s once potent offensive repertoire.Fredette struggles to penetrate to the basket, and if he does, his vast array of scoops, flips and underhand layups that worked so well at the collegiate level aren?t a viable option against NBA big men. As a result, Fredette is forced to the perimeter. In his 21.6 minutes of action per night, the former consensus All-American launches 3.8 3-pointers per game, while attempting just 1.1 free throws and one shot inside of five feet per contest. Fredette ? who averages 8.2 points per game ? does drain a solid 38.3 percent of his 3-pointers, but his overall field goal percentage is a mere 37.1 percent.However, the more glaring issue is his lack of a true position. Because of their glut of shooting guards, the Kings play Fredette at point guard by default. The problem is, Fredette has never really been a true point guard and his shortcomings are on display. Per 48 minutes, Fredette averages just 4.4 assists while turning the ball over 3.1 times. Furthermore, his inability to put dribble drive pressure on the defense and his ineffectiveness at setting up teammates recently led to two games where he didn?t see any action. Sacramento coach Keith Smart opted to go with fellow rookie Isaiah Thomas ? who was the last pick of the draft ? instead of Fredette.So that leads to the question, why doesn?t Sacramento play Fredette at shooting guard? The answer to that is twofold. One, as previously stated, the Kings have an abundance of two-guards. This offseason, they invested $33 million over four years in 6-foot-4 Marcus Thornton and 2009 Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans appears to be a franchise cornerstone. Veterans John Salmons and Francisco Garcia also receive occasional minutes in the backcourt.Secondly, as poor as Fredette has played at point guard, he has been even worse at the two-guard. According to 82games.com, when playing shooting guard, Fredette?s per-minute production in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage are all down when compared to the minutes he has received at point guard.