Jimmer Fredette has had an up and down start not only to this season, but also to his NBA career. His minutes have yo-yoed back and forth during his time with the Sacramento Kings.
Lately, that’s started to change and Fredette is finally seeing some consistent action on the floor. He may not be playing the minutes his diehard fans would like, but Fredette now knows he’s part of the rotation. That may be one of the reasons for the third-year guard’s improved comfort level on the floor according to Chris Jent. Among his many duties, the Kings lead assistant often works on shooting with Fredette and the other guards as well the wings during pregame warmups.
“Well, I think with Jimmer it’s stated, and I think it’s probably accurate for any player, is that he knows he’s gonna play,” Jent said in an outtake from this week’s Cowbell Kingdom Podcast. “And when you know you’re going to play, you’ve got a different approach to your day.
“You’re in your routine,” added Jent. “You know you’re going to step on the floor and you’ve just got a certain comfort level – before game, during game.”
Over his last nine games, Fredette has shot 45 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point distance and averaged 7.8 points and two assists in 13.5 minutes per contest. Per 36 minutes, Fredette is posting averages of 20.7 points and 5.3 assists a game in that span.
Fredette hasn’t shied away from finding his shot the last few weeks. Instead of trying to be a pass-first guard, he’s once again taken that score-first approach that made him a lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. An attacking mentality is something that head coach Michael Malone has encouraged Fredettte to embrace.
“Coach Malone has really told him ‘Hey Jimmer, I need you to be aggressive,” Jent said. “‘You gotta go out there, be aggressive, play your game and give us that spark.’ Coach has said it to him several times, so I know he’s had a lot of conversations with Jimmer and that always helps a player when your head coach is telling you to be aggressive.”
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
