Will Jimmer Fredette succeed in the NBA?

Jimmer Fredette, the former BYU star who led the NCAA in scoring last season, will now be playing for the Sacremento Kings. He had a monster senior year, averaging 28.5 points per game, while shooting an impresssive 45 percent from the field. But now the question that has many sports fans talking is whether he can adjust and make the transition to continue his accomplishments in the NBA. There is no doubt that he has the potential, but there are major concerns about his size. He is 6'4 a shooting guard. In college that is a decent size but in the NBA many shooting guards are a few inches taller and longer which will impact his ability to create shots. In college he was great at making plays and creating opportunities so this could affect his game as he will no longer be playing against the Mountain West Conference. However he is a natural scorer and when left open he will make the shot. It will not be as easy as in college but give him time and will adapt. He could also try to develop into a point guard but I highly doubt that that will happen. Another aspect of his game that will be closely watched is his defense. That I think will be very hard to learn and for him to improve he will have to spend a lot of time working on it and going in the weight room as he is listed at 195.

Being drafted by the Sacremento Kings is both a good and bad thing. The bad is that he will be thrown into the starting lineup and be expected to contribute immediately. It is for this reason that I will think he will struggle a little bit at first because this is a major change from college as players are going to be taller, stronger, more athletic. Also, there is no summer league for him to face off against more skilled opponents. But early playing time is good as it will help him to get better and not be forgotten on the bench as J.J. Reddick was. He will also be playing a different style of basketball where he will not be the focus of the offense, so no more pull up threes. The Kings will have to learn to distribute the basketball and play as a team as there will now be three players who will demand the ball. Fredette, Cousins, and Evans but if they learn to work as a unit look for their points per game to increase this year. Jimmer will also sell tickets and boost the Sacremento fan base.

When his career is all said and done I see him finding his rhythm in the league and appearing in a couple All-Star games. I picture him as a Mario Chalmers, who is a really good shooter but will struggle at times. Look for Jimmer to be named rookie of the year as he will definently be a boost to the Kings. He will be under tremendous pressure to be the next superstar and live up to his college reputation, but everyone must understand that it will take a little bit of time for him to flourish in this league.