Sacramento Kings Want Jimmer Fredette to Be More ‘Selfish’

Jimmer Fredette has struggled in his rookie season, but his coach insists that for the Sacramento Kings to be successful, Fredette has to look for his own shot more often. Per the Sac Bee: “Fredette, drafted 10th overall by Milwaukee and immediately traded to the Kings, is being asked to sort things out quickly and amid enormous hype and expectations. There hasn’t been a lot of time for teaching anywhere in the NBA, but here in Sacramento, his development has been further hampered by an abrupt coaching and philosophical change, along with an unbalanced roster burdened by reluctant passers and dribble-heavy players. So where does that leave Jimmer? During Saturday’s overtime win over Golden State, it left him on the bench for a second consecutive game and visibly disappointed. On most days, it leaves him trying to figure out how his leadership and shotmaking skills translate to the NBA. ‘I never sat out an entire game before,’ he admitted, ‘not even in high school, unless I was hurt or something. But I’m just trying to be a good teammate. I’ll keep working and finding ways to get better.’ Six weeks into the season, the Kings are convinced of this much: They regard the 6-2 Fredette as a shotmaker and superb deep shooter who will benefit immensely from a traditional offseason devoted to adding one-handed floaters and runners to his repertoire. One of his biggest problems is a tendency to overpenetrate and jump-stop in the lane, attracting clusters of defenders like teenagers to free cellphones. His conflict is partly attributable to the fact that he wants to be perceived as more than a one-dimensional gunner. Having been a floor leader throughout his career, he also is learning the nuances of moving without the ball, of understanding angles and how to utilize screens and ball/head fakes that freeze defenders. ‘We can work on the point guard (skills) this summer,’ said Smart, ‘and we want Jimmer to make plays. But when he comes off a pick, he has to take that shot. He needs to become a little selfish.’ Smart, who is energetic and resourceful, and intrigued by his team’s depth and talent despite the flaws, is giving Fredette the green light to shoot, with more than a nudge in the process. While the Kings still need a facilitator and an athletic small forward who can stretch the floor, the feeling is that Fredette can help fill a void by doing what he does best, namely, taking and converting open shots. ‘He makes it tough on himself because he wants to prove people wrong,’ said Kings assistant Bobby Jackson, ‘but I told him: ‘You’re not that fast or that athletic, but you have something a lot of guys don’t have – scoring ability. Stop trying to drive all the time.’ His outside shooting opens things up for Tyreke (Evans) and (DeMarcus) Cousins.'”