I've been reading articles about Jimmer Fredette's workouts for various teams, and his shooting has been unbelievable. After team and individual workouts for the Pacers, he was asked to show his three-point range. The Jimmer reportedly shot 18 of 22 NBA three-pointers with Larry Bird watching. Larry Legend shot 50 or more in a row many times in practice, so he might be the only guy on earth who wouldn't be impressed by that. Then today Jimmer supposedly made 19 of 25 NBA threes while working out for the Knicks. So the guy obviously can shoot.
And yet I'm still reading that some people say Jimmer can't or won't pass. These observers obviously weren't observing Fredette during his college career. He ended up No. 3 on the all-time career assists list in the Mountain West Conference, which ain't too shabby even in a relatively young conference.
I got to wondering -- how do Jimmer's assist stats compare with those of the other top point guards who are projected to be drafted in the first round?
Here's how the top prospects in the draft this year rank in assists:
| Player |
Career APG |
Player |
Career APG |
| Darius Morris |
4.8 |
Jimmer Fredette |
3.7 |
| Kyrie Irving |
4.3 |
Ben Hansbrough |
3.6 |
| Iman Shumpert |
4.2 |
Reggie Jackson |
3.4 |
| Brandon Knight |
4.2 |
Shelvin Mack |
3.3 |
| Kemba Walker |
4.1 |
Norris Cole |
3.3 |
| Charles Jenkins |
3.8 |
Nolan Smith |
2.8 |
Keep in mind that Jimmer averaged between 4.1 to 4.7 assists per game in his last three years, but his average includes his freshman year, when he played 18 1/2 minutes a game. Some basketball scouts have pointed out that Jimmer could have averaged more assists if he had other NBA prospects on his team as was the case with some of the other top point guard prospects.
Jimmer has weaknesses, among them his turnover rate. He tends to jump before passing or getting creative in shooting in traffic, and that will get him into trouble in the NBA. But he's a smart player, and I'm confident he will adapt. I didn't need to see the stats to know Jimmer can pass. He is an accurate, crafty and creative passer, and he can pass with either hand. One thing he does exceptionally well is throw the full court lob pass, reminding me of Nash, LeBron and Stockton in that regard.
Again, I predict that some teams are going to regret passing on Jimmer.
Links:
Jimmer thinks he would be a good fit for the Knicks
Jimmer looks to impress Knicks
Jimmer's college stats
Top three point guards in the 2011 draft
