After a legendary basketball career at BYU, Jimmer Fredette was drafted 10th overall in 2011 to the Sacramento Kings. Throughout his time in Sacramento, Fredette has seen limited playing time despite his ever-improving shooting percentages.
Through the 2013-2014 NBA season thus far, Fredette is averaging 5.7 points per game while playing 11 minutes. He is shooting a scorching 48 percent from 3-point range and 45 percent overall from the field for the Kings (14-29), who are currently in last place of the NBA’s Pacific conference.
Stat fanatics often use “per 36 minutes” statistics to compare productivity of different players. If Fredette were to play 36 minutes per game rather than his current average, he could, hypothetically, score 18 points per game.
Fredette is having a hot start to the new year– during the month of January, he is averaging 7.1 points per game and shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc.
This leaves many fans disappointed in the Sacramento Kings organization. Especially among BYU students, fans think he deserves a larger role on the team. Others think he should get traded to a team where he can fulfill his potential. There is even an unofficial movement on the internet in support of him, which can be seen by searching the hashtag “#freejimmer.
Those fans just might get their wish, as rumors swirl that the Kings chose not to extend Fredette’s contract, which would make him a free agent this summer.
In the meantime, BYU students and fans everywhere continue to cheer him on.
