Jimmer Fredette has garnered quite a reputation in China but has failed to show he can bring those monster numbers to the NBA. Given a new lease, he hopes his stint with the Phoenix Suns can finally allow him to shine.
Fredette, the 10th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks but later on traded to the Sacrament Kings, agreed to a two-year deal with the Suns, NBA.com said. The second-year is a team option, meaning Fredette needs to make an impression if he is to last longer this time around.
The Fredette-Suns deal will only become official once the product of BYU officially gets his release from his Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) ballclub, the Shanghai Sharks.
In the CBA, Fredette has proven that he can score and become a monster on the court given the chance. He averaged 36.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists during the 2018-19 CBA season. He shot 47-percent from the field and also 41.9-percent from the rainbow territory, Real GM said. There is no question that he has potential and that is what the Suns are hoping to get from him next NBA season.
Fredette has already had multiple chances with several NBA teams. Aside from the Kings, he also had stints with the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, and the New York Knicks. Since entering the NBA the best he could do was average 7.6 points per game which happened when he entered the league.
The 2011-12 NBA was also the year when he got the most NBA minutes ever at 18.6. From there, future teams simply did not give him the proper exposure to shine.
This time around, Fredette hopes he can make a difference and unfurl what he is truly capable of. He joins a backcourt already composed of rising NBA stars in Devin Booker and Tyler Johnson which hints he could be coming off the bench initially.
If so, it will be nothing new for Fredette unless head coach Igor Kokoskov sees otherwise. He will have to earn his minutes and prove to the Suns that he can be a big asset given the proper playing minutes.
Joining his fifth team in the NBA, Fredette is expected to go all out and work to finally show that he has what it takes to survive in the league. It won't be easy competing with younger players although he can rebuff all that with his vaunted outside shooting touch.
