Almost ten years ago, Jimmer Fredette blew up the college basketball scene. His high scoring combined with his athleticism made him an obvious first-round pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Like many first rounders, Fredette did not last long in the NBA after a disappointing start to his career. After three years of playing overseas, he finally got a second chance with the tanking Phoenix Suns. Will Fredette be able to stick in the NBA this time around?
Jimmer Fredette, Back in Action
The College Years
Jimmer Fredette attended BYU for four years and was drafted into the NBA his senior year of high school. In his four years, he averaged 18.7 points per game. In his last year at BYU Fredette averaged 28.9 points per game. During that year he also averaged 45% from the field and 40% from three-point range. One major collegiate achievement was that Fredette became the all-time points leader in the Mountain West Conference, which BYU was formerly in. Fredette carried BYU to the third round of the NCAA tournament but couldn’t do much more, being the only double-digit scorer in an overtime loss to Florida. A game in which Fredette scored 32.
First NBA Stint
Fredette was drafted in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the tenth pick. He was traded in a three-team deal with the Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Bobcats. A deal that included John Salmons, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, Corey Maggette, and Stephen Jackson. Fredette’s first year in Sacramento was definitely lackluster by his standards.
In a season that was shortened by the CBA strike, Fredette didn’t get his first piece of NBA action till December 26th. He finished the game playing 26 minutes and scoring six points. He went on to average 7.6 points in his rookie season. Shooting 39% from the field and 36% from three-point range.
Fredette lasted five years and went through four different teams in the league during his first stint in the league. Through those first five years, he averaged 6.4 points. He had decent shooting numbers, averaging 43% from the field and 40% from three-point range. However, for one reason or another, teams didn’t wanna take a chance on him, even for the bench. One main reason could be for his lacking ability to fill the stat sheet in other areas. In his entire career, he’s averaged just 1 rebound, 1.4 assists, and 0.4 steals per game.
The G League Years
In the ’15’-’16 season Jimmer Fredette spent his time with the Westchester Knicks. There he played 40 games there and averaged 21 points per game. He shot an impressive 46% from the field and 41% from three-point range. He was called up by the New York Knicks for two games, averaging 2.5 minutes per game between his two appearances.
China
The Chinese basketball league is where a lot of NBA players go to revive their careers or at least prolong them. That’s exactly what Jimmer Fredette did. He spent three years in China with the Shanghai Dongfang Sharks. Averaging 36.8 points through three seasons. What’s amazing is that he averaged 12 three-pointers per game in his CBA career. Fredette is most remembered in China for scoring 75 points in one game. That’s the second highest scoring output in for a single game in CBA history. Fredette became a more all-around player in China. He averaged 2.1 rebounds per game, five assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Here Comes the Suns
After three years out of the NBA, Jimmer Fredette made his return late in March 2019 as a member of the Phoenix Suns. The contract is for the rest of the 2018-2019 season and will have a team option for next year. The move is a bit perplexing since the Suns have a bunch of young players to fill in their rotation. However, they may just strike gold and get some much-needed luck in a franchise that’s been dysfunctional for years.
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