Jimmer Fredette gets shot with Nuggets in NBA Summer League
If there’s anyone who understands the cruelty that is the business of professional basketball, it’s Jimmer Fredette.
The former Brigham Young All-American, who was selected No. 10 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2011 NBA Draft and traded to the Sacramento Kings that night, has struggled to gain a foothold in the league. He has been with four NBA teams and spent most of last season with the New York Knicks’ Development League team.
At age 27, time is not on his side. But the 6-foot-2-inch Fredette is willing to travel the long route back to the NBA. He has spent the week in Las Vegas with the Denver Nuggets’ summer league team and has played well, averaging 15.0 points in four games.
On Thursday, Fredette helped Denver advance to the summer league quarterfinals with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists in 26 minutes of an 80-60 victory over the Utah Jazz at Cox Pavilion.
“I’m grateful to the Nuggets for giving me a chance,” he said. “I’ve been working hard trying to shore up the deficiencies in my game and show I’m more than just a scorer.
“I’ve improved my footwork. My defense is better. I’m looking to pass when there’s someone open. And I’m just looking to take good shots when I shoot.”
The Nuggets have been impressed. Micah Nori, the team’s summer league coach, said he still wants Fredette to shoot, but he likes the other improved aspects of his game.
“The one thing that’s a positive for Jimmer is he has an NBA skill, which is he can make shots,” Nori said. “The fact he’s defending at a much higher level, and he’s making plays for his teammates, and he’s not trying to do too much says a lot about how he has grown as a player.
“The one thing Jimmer has done is he’s playing to his strength and away from his weaknesses.”
Fredette admitted going from the NBA to the D-League was humbling. But as he settled in with the Westchester Knicks, he turned the experience into a positive.
He averaged 35.8 minutes, 21.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists, and was named the MVP of the D-League All-Star Game.
“I thought it was great for me,” Fredette said. “I got a chance to play, and I got my confidence back.”
Mike Malone, the Nuggets’ coach who coached Fredette in Sacramento, said he sees a more mature player who is comfortable with his skills.
“He’s a great guy,” Malone said. “His shooting has always been there. But his play-making and his decision-making ability has improved. In his first summer league game out here, he had six assists and zero turnovers.
“Jimmer just needs someone to give him an opportunity to play his game. If he comes off the bench, he’s a proven scorer who can change a game quickly. I’m sure he has been humbled bouncing around the league and going to the D-League. But he realized, ‘I have to get stronger, and I’ve got to work on my game.’ He’s a guy I have a ton of respect for, and I’m definitely rooting for him.”
Denver hasn’t invited Fredette to its fall training camp, but he’ll be playing at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center against the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals.
“It’s like I’m auditioning for all 30 teams,” he said. “I still think I can play in this league, and I know if I do the right things and play hard, I can help someone’s team.”
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow on Twitter: @stevecarprj