Jimmer Fredette to the Spurs (Update: Mostly Non-Guaranteed Training Camp Deal)

[tholdren]

Well said sir!

Jimmer is better than KL and Parker

[ceperez]

Yup you are right. Just to point out, I am not sure he develops his game fully this year because he's so young and his game relies on his skill and his BBIQ. He needs opportunities to grow and the Spurs are famous for bringing young guys along slowly, specially young guys who are still developing their games. He has the potential to be a special player for the Spurs at some point though. He's more perimeter oriented than a Diaw, who plays a lot inside and is a real bull against perimeter players. They are different, but both have that x-factor that can unlock a lineup in ways no other guys can. Manu has that factor too, he's just a superstar and future hall of fame player of course. But not every superstar has that factor and not every guy who has that factor needs to be superstar.

Just really, really smart players that raise the BBIQ level of your ballclub. I am really high on his potential, and it doesn't mean he's ready to do what I stated right now, but he'll get chances when the opportunity presents itself and he's been much more aggressive than he was as a rookie. I don't think he'll draw fouls like he did in SL (you have to account for all the Dayes and Ayers types there who are just foul prone), but he'll still catch guys off balance. He's tough to time, bc he throws a lot of fakes, so you can't be all exuberant around him. That is how he makes his defender slow down to his level. His issues are on the defensive end, but I think he's made progress. I can understand ppl not liking his style, but you have to kind of appreciate how crafty he is. I am not sure he puts his game together this year, but I would like to at least see glimpses of the mismatches and he will need time and chemistry playing with guys to unlock his passing ability. But he certainly has a higher ceiling in terms of what he could potentially do for the team than Simmons for example, who I also like.

I think ultimately both Simmons and Kyle will get minutes as backup SF. Pop is barely getting to know these guys and will go all Cojo/Mills on them, switching to flavor of the month most likely and also finding out who works better with the bench lineups. We are likely to see both guys, and even some others thrown in there at times.

KA is like a Larry Bird, but in the wrong era. They are actually comparable in height and probably even speed.

Bird of course worked his a** off everytime he was on the court, KA should have that kind of mentality. Kind of like the mentality that Simmons showed in SL.

[SAGirl]

KA is like a Larry Bird, but in the wrong era. They are actually comparable in height and probably even speed.

Bird of course worked his a** off everytime he was on the court, KA should have that kind of mentality. Kind of like the mentality that Simmons showed in SL.

I think he needs to become a better shooter. His game has always been passing. Its kind of what he likes to do and is probably looking to do most of the time. Some highlights of him from college and HS have him making the most surprising passes to guys who are cutting and moving, so I don't think he developed his shooting enough growing up. He's now trying to do that as he's entering the NBA and we could call it a work in progress. If he could shoot the 3 at a good enough rate, it will open up the realm of possibilities of what he could do for others and it will help the Spurs system which is based on shooters spread out. Even shooting the 3 at a Manu rate will be good. Manu is just so skilled that he's able to shoot those step back 3s and stuff like that, it just opens up a number of stuff for Manu, the fact that you have to respect that 3.

Well Bird was one of the best shooters ever and a straight cold blooded "assassin", so on that respect its not even close. I do think Kyle is a very very good passer, and a smart kid, who will be able to eventually, when his game matures a little bit, come up with very creative ways to score for himself and his teammates. Spurs have used him as a scorer a lot, we saw it in SL, and even in Austin, which was not his forte coming into the league. He was a guy like Diaw who would rather always make a play for a teammate, even at the last second quite honestly. But I think, seeing as he didn't shoot well, and how you have to make NBA defenses respect your shots, and the Spurs wanted him to develop his post up game, he did need to go to the D'league and work on his offense a whole lot, and I don't think that aspect of his game is completed developing at all. I do hope he's good enough to see minutes this year, because he could be an exciting player to watch and like I said, I think he has the potential to unlock a lot of possibilities for the Spurs in the future. The thing that surprised me the most in SL wasn't his scoring or anything like that, in that Suns game, he had his worst shooting/scoring outing and both Simmons and Graham outscored him, but if you paid attention, when he was on the court, he had an impact and made many passes that were stunning for a guy his age. There was no other forward, not one that had that kind of skilled game in SL. Some of those passes are not in highlight reels because the guys he passed to didn't score, but you would appreciate what I talk about in the x-factor, the court vision he has.

[tholdren]

Jimmer is better than Larry Bird

[Spurtacular]

Yes, his Sacramento shooting numbers are pretty good, because despite what you think, he was allowed to hog the ball his time there. When he went to Chicago and NO, he had to play off the ball more (which is why his assisted three rate went from 60 percent in SAC to 75 percent in CHI and 89 percent in NO). As he moved to a spot-up role (like the one he's trying for with the Spurs), his shooting fell apart. That's because he's a poor floor-spacer. He can create his own shot, two- or three-pointer. But that doesn't work in the context of a normal Spurs offense. I guess if Manu is hurt, Jimmer might have a couple of decent rotation games as the backup two. But he's not going to get the ball in the normal rotation, and he doesn't play well off the ball.

You don't know what exact role Jimmer will have with the Spurs. Some think a Patty Mills like role, others a Beli like role, others a back-up PG role for Parker. We'll see. I think Jimmer can thrive in any of those roles though. The Spurs know how to maximize talent.

As for NOL, Jimmer didn't struggle because he was missing spot-up shots. He struggled b/c he played on a team that doesn't make the extra pass among other factors. In fact, if you watch his NOL highlights, you'll see that he is much more often getting the ball in ISOs than on spot-ups. And he did pretty well with them taking his 2 percentage to an all-time high I believe. I believe his three struggles were psychological and that he's cleared his mind and regained his form.

As for Chicago, I don't really count that as anything. He was truly an end of the bench guy getting scraps there. He was still getting over the devastation of being in the most dysfunctional organization in the league (the Kings) too.

[Spurtacular]

No, and this is why it's clear you don't understand spacing. Jimmer shooting from 28 feet is the equivalent of an average shooter shooting from 23 feet.

I guess that whole 53.5 percent thing flew over your head.... But even if you were/are right, that's still extra spacing he creates; and you were arguing that Jimmer doesn't space the floor (probably the most moronic argument anyone has made in this thread).

[Spurtacular]

His man can totally help off him and recover. That was obvious last year, but even in his peak years, his guys were all over him whenver he spotted up inside 25 feet.

Not in a real system like the Spurs. Teams that took chances off Jimmer did so knowing he was playing with me-first players who don't willingly move the ball. That's not the Spurs. Jimmer will make people who cheat pay.

[Kawhitstorm]

Not in a real system like the Spurs. Teams that took chances off Jimmer did so knowing he was playing with me-first players who don't willingly move the ball. That's not the Spurs. Jimmer will make people who cheat pay.

Okay, I'll trade you Bonner for Jimmer in a heart beat.....now just make it happen! (Suggestions: spam the PTFOs inbox/mailbox, harass Bonner, call in death/bomb threat if Bonner is still on the roster, send wine to Pop...I'll pitch in if you need funds)

[NASpurs]

Another Q&A

http://www.espn.co.uk/blog/basketbal...ght-from-spurs

SAN ANTONIO -- The gaping cut over Jimmer Fredette's right eye certainly didn't affect vision after Thursday's practice, as he stayed late for extra work, draining several 3-pointers in rapid succession.

Playing for his fourth team since being drafted No. 10 overall in 2011, Fredette may have finally found a home with the San Antonio Spurs, a team he says has finally given him the green light to do what he does best, and that's shoot the basketball. The Spurs could certainly use Fredette's skill set off the bench as they look to replace the production of key role players such as Marco Belinelli.

"He's a shooter," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Fredette. "He's a scorer, and we're looking for that type of thing to add to the team. Marco [Belinelli] not being here is important. He came off the bench and helped us in a lot of games, and I think that's a big concern."

In this Q&A with ESPN.com, Fredette discussed his up-and-down career, growth as a professional and the vote of confidence given by the coaching staff for him to shoot the ball when there are open opportunities:

How has your NBA journey been so far? It seems like you've had lots of ups and downs since coming into the league.
Fredette: Yeah, so far there's been some good things, some bad things. But I think I've progressed and learned how to be a pro. I think I've continually gotten better as a basketball player. You've just got to keep your confidence high. You can't let anything bad that happens get you down. You've just got to continue to stay strong, stay mentally tough and know that when you do get an opportunity, you have to be prepared for it. You never know when that can come.

Throughout your journey, there had to be times your confidence was shaken dramatically, right?
Fredette: Yeah, definitely. There are times when you're like, 'Dang, man, this is not the way that I pictured it as a kid or growing up.' But I think that's all a part of the growing process as a pro. It's not necessarily that you're not good enough to be out there, you know what I mean? Sometimes, there are other cir stances. So you've just got to stay mentally prepared, know that you can play, and when you get out there be able to compete.

How do you think you fit in with the Spurs?
Fredette: I think I fit in well with the team. This is a group of guys that knows how to win, obviously. They've won championships. They've done amazing things in their careers. I'm just fortunate enough to be able to be a part of this team, and hopefully be able to learn from these guys that are veterans that have been there and done that. Just look at their work ethic. And I think I fit in well with their system being able to shoot the basketball, try to make the right play and give up a good shot for a great shot. I think that's kind of the m.o.

You've got a pretty big cut there over the right eye. What happened? Any practice elbows?
Fredette: [Laughs] I just hit my head the other day. Nothing too bad. It wasn't a practice elbow.

What did coach Gregg Popovich tell you when he first brought you out here?
Fredette: He just told me that he wants me to be aggressive and that they brought me in here to space the floor to be able to shoot the basketball; to just kind of do what I do. But he said he was very happy to have me here. Obviously, I'm super excited to be here. I'm just going to do anything I can to help the team, whatever it takes.

What's it like for you to have that sort of vote of confidence to just shoot the ball out here in San Antonio?
Fredette: Coaches are telling me that every day. If I don't shoot it, they're coming up to me, especially coach [Becky] Hammon is always telling me: 'Shoot the basketball. Shoot it when you're open.' So it's great to have that confidence. I haven't had that necessarily all the time since I've been in the league. So it's great to be able to have the green light to be able to shoot it when you're open.

What did you do to prepare for this latest opportunity?
Fredette: I worked really hard this summer on my game. I think I worked harder than ever this summer to try to get my body in shape. To come into camp in the best shape I can, I changed all my eating habits and worked as hard as I could. Once I figured out I was going to be going to the Spurs, I tried to watch film on them, my trainers and I, and tried to emulate shots that I'd get in the game during my practice sessions. So I tried to come into camp knowing what I was gonna do.

You said you changed your diet. What was it before and what is it now?
Fredette: It wasn't all that bad. But obviously, I love treats. So I love my ice cream and all that stuff at night. So I tried to eliminate all of that, and tried to eat really healthy. I'm really into the super foods. So I try to eat a lot of super foods: kale, spinach, blueberries, oranges, salmon, turkey; that type of stuff, just really healthy stuff to see how it felt. I've trimmed up a little bit, and it gives you a little more energy. So it's felt great so far.

Why were you surprised the Spurs showed interest in you?
Fredette: Well, they just weren't on our radar of teams we were talking about. My agents and I, we had some teams that we were talking to. but the Spurs hadn't really come up in our conversations all that much. Then all of a sudden, they called me up and said that they were interested, and had an opportunity for me if we wanted it. I was like, 'Of course.' I mean, what a great organization. I was honored to be able to have that.

You seem pretty upbeat right now. What's going on?
Fredette: [Laughing] I'm very excited. It's a great organization, great team to be a part of. I'm just all about trying to work hard and going out and trying to win the basketball game. I know this organization is all about that, however it can get done. And here, you never know when you're going to get your opportunity, you know? I think at some point I will get an opportunity. So I have to go out there and be ready to go, be ready to play, and try to fit into the system, and do what I do out there. And I think they appreciate what I do. So I can play more freely, and be able to go out and try to shoot and score, be aggressive, but also help defensively and continue to work."

[Chinook]

You don't know what exact role Jimmer will have with the Spurs. Some think a Patty Mills like role, others a Beli like role, others a back-up PG role for Parker. We'll see. I think Jimmer can thrive in any of those roles though. The Spurs know how to maximize talent.

As for NOL, Jimmer didn't struggle because he was missing spot-up shots. He struggled b/c he played on a team that doesn't make the extra pass among other factors. In fact, if you watch his NOL highlights, you'll see that he is much more often getting the ball in ISOs than on spot-ups. And he did pretty well with them taking his 2 percentage to an all-time high I believe. I believe his three struggles were psychological and that he's cleared his mind and regained his form.

As for Chicago, I don't really count that as anything. He was truly an end of the bench guy getting scraps there. He was still getting over the devastation of being in the most dysfunctional organization in the league (the Kings) too.

I think Jimmer has a chance in a Beli/Neal role. As I have not been shy to state, Jimmer is much better with the ball in his hands than he gets credit for. He's not the cutter that Beli is, but he can penetrate and make simple passes. That's something that Patty is inconsistent in. If Jimmer were 6-6, the fact that he's not a floor-spacer wouldn't be too big on an issue, because he can do other things on offense well. But he's a combo-guard in a bad way, and that hurts him on both ends.

I guess that whole 53.5 percent thing flew over your head.... But even if you were/are right, that's still extra spacing he creates; and you were arguing that Jimmer doesn't space the floor (probably the most moronic argument anyone has made in this thread).

First, we'd have to see the sample size for know if 53.5 is even statistically significant. But the reason why it doesn't matter is because Jimmer's total 3P% is so low. The higher his deep shots are, the lower his normal threes are. And that's a bad thing. Anyway, again, spacing isn't a stagnant thing. It's very dynamic, which is why the term 'gravity' is gaining support as an alternative term. Jimmer has a low relative gravity due to his release, and that's why he has to shoot from so far away, why he isn't good in catch-and-shoot threes and why almost none of his attempt came from the corners. Player can recover to him relatively easily if he takes normal shots. If he steps farther out, he can get room to shoot, but his release still allows guys to play really far off. As the videos I posted a while back showed, people were able to contest his shots after starting almost 30 feet away from him. That's horrible for spacing.

Not in a real system like the Spurs. Teams that took chances off Jimmer did so knowing he was playing with me-first players who don't willingly move the ball. That's not the Spurs. Jimmer will make people who cheat pay.

That's bull , plain and simple. People didn't pass to Jimmer because he wasn't open. The 2014-2015 Pelicans where either in the league in assist percentage, while the 2013-2014 Bulls were ninth. Those teams picked up Fredette specifically because he was supposed to space the floor for them. They wanted him to catch and shoot, and he would constantly get run off the line, even when he had space. You orgasm all over his Sacramento three-point percentage, but those were the selfish teams he played on. Jimmer thrives (in the 2K sense) when he plays on a team that gives up isos and lets him run the offense and chuck 30-foot pull-ups. The Kings likely hurt Jimmer's development, but they didn't make him look worse than he was.

[Nathan89]

What did coach Gregg Popovich tell you when he first brought you out here?

Fredette: He just told me that he wants me to be aggressive and that they brought me in here to space the floor to be able to shoot the basketball; to just kind of do what I do. But he said he was very happy to have me here. Obviously, I'm super excited to be here. I'm just going to do anything I can to help the team, whatever it takes.

[cd98]

Apparently Pop forgot to consult Spurstalk so they could explain to him that Jimmer has bad form and can't space the floor or get his shot off in the NBA.

[Spurtacular]

That's bull , plain and simple. People didn't pass to Jimmer because he wasn't open.

I watched the games. I can tell you that the Kings and Pels were both terrible at making the timely passes to an open Jimmer. If players did that on the Spurs, Pop would bench their asses so fast.....

Jimmer is going to a real system; and he'll see dividends.

And yes, on paper, the Bulls had a system that he could've worked in. But he came late in their season and was never implemented into their system in any serious way. Like I say, I don't even look at Chicago when I'm analyzing Jimmer. It was a spare scraps role. In theory, it could've been more and the Bulls could've benefited. But I don't think there's any hard feelings there for Jimmer or his fans. Thibedeou was clearly reluctant to mess with chemistry right before the playoffs.

[rastaspur]

I watched the games. I can tell you that the Kings and Pels were both terrible at making the timely passes to an open Jimmer. If players did that on the Spurs, Pop would bench their asses so fast.....

Jimmer is going to a real system; and he'll see dividends.

And yes, on paper, the Bulls had a system that he could've worked in. But he came late in their season and was never implemented into their system in any serious way. Like I say, I don't even look at Chicago when I'm analyzing Jimmer. It was a spare scraps role. In theory, it could've been more and the Bulls could've benefited. But I don't think there's any hard feelings there for Jimmer or his fans. Thibedeou was clearly reluctant to mess with chemistry right before the playoffs.

I hope this is jimmer's chance to shine and he finds his fit. If so, you will be the happiest man alive. Good luck to your boy

[Spurtacular]

I hope this is jimmer's chance to shine and he finds his fit. If so, you will be the happiest man alive. Good luck to your boy

Well, I have a life outside of Jimmer. But as a fan, I'd definitely be thrilled. I don't think a guy lights it up in college like he did w/o having mad skills. He'll probably quiet a lot of haters, imo.

[SAGirl]

Okay, I'll trade you Bonner for Jimmer in a heart beat.....now just make it happen! (Suggestions: spam the PTFOs inbox/mailbox, harass Bonner, call in death/bomb threat if Bonner is still on the roster, send wine to Pop...I'll pitch in if you need funds)

On a sidenote, Bonner playing as a center in scrimmages. Wtf is Pop going to do this season with 35 yr old Bonner as a center???? No, Pop please....

He might have been using Bonner to teach new guys roles and such. I didn't see Diaw there after all. Bonner truly is a good teammate and I like him as a personality, but seriously he cannot box out, rebound or deal with centers. I am afraid he'll be subbed as center next to LMA and I am scared.I would rather see Boban but it seems he's a year away if that from being decent. Manu was very guarded when talking about Boban.

I am shifting towards a no to Rasual Butler, I can't see him playing over Kyle or Simmons and some guys like Deshaun Thomas are looking very springy and Williams can always shoot. I am learning against Butler.

We haven't seen much of Jimmer, but I don't think Spurs will regret picking him up. Everyone is still pretty much in play but I don't see Butler making it. There are some hungry young guys that I don't think Butler will outplay.

[Joseph Kony]

why the does this thread about this ty mormon got have almost 2000 replies? the is wrong with you people?

[Kawhitstorm]

On a sidenote, Bonner playing as a center in scrimmages. Wtf is Pop going to do this season with 35 yr old Bonner as a center???? No, Pop please....

He might have been using Bonner to teach new guys roles and such. I didn't see Diaw there after all. Bonner truly is a good teammate and I like him as a personality, but seriously he cannot box out, rebound or deal with centers. I am afraid he'll be subbed as center next to LMA and I am scared.I would rather see Boban but it seems he's a year away if that from being decent. Manu was very guarded when talking about Boban.

I am shifting towards a no to Rasual Butler, I can't see him playing over Kyle or Simmons and some guys like Deshaun Thomas are looking very springy and Williams can always shoot. I am learning against Butler.

We haven't seen much of Jimmer, but I don't think Spurs will regret picking him up. Everyone is still pretty much in play but I don't see Butler making it. There are some hungry young guys that I don't think Butler will outplay.

Bonner isn't going to hurt the team as a practice player so I don't care if he was playing point guard. He would actually be a good practice player since he knows the system thus he can guide the new guys. Diaw is most likely resting b/c he played for France over the summer (Tony has to play b/c he's a starter).

As far as Rasual, if he can't outplay DeShaun/Williams as a wing shooter then he doesn't deserve a roster spot. DeShaun seems to be playing as a stretch 4 b/c of his slow feet on defense thus I would pencil him as Bonner's compe ion & Williams is no where near the PURE shooter that Butler has proven to be his entire career. I always felt like Williams days as a Spurs were numbered once Simmons was signed.

[Old School 44]

Nice Q&A with Fredette. I really liked Fredette's Spurs 100 Shooting drill video embedded in the article. If he regains his touch with the Spurs, him just standing beyond the arc will open it up even more for LA and TD.

Article Link

[Chinook]

Apparently Pop forgot to consult Spurstalk so they could explain to him that Jimmer has bad form and can't space the floor or get his shot off in the NBA.

I'm sure he thought Daye was going to space the floor too, and the team guaranteed a lot more money to Austin than they did to Jimmer. Pop makes mistakes like everyone else, and he misreads situations. People should be able to make up their own minds without having to rely on what Pop says.

[ceperez]

I'm sure he thought Daye was going to space the floor too, and the team guaranteed a lot more money to Austin than they did to Jimmer. Pop makes mistakes like everyone else, and he misreads situations. People should be able to make up their own minds without having to rely on what Pop says.

Pop also paid Ayres for two years, now Ayres can't even keep a spot in a league in China.

In free agency, you buy low ( players that everyone else thinks isn't worth much ), then you hope they develop into something. Didn't happen with Ayres.

[Nathan89]

Either Jimmer or Simmons needs to take some of the play-making responsibilities from manu this year. Too much of this conversation is focused on Jimmer's ability to space the floor. He'll be signed as insurance to patty's shooting and manu and simmon's play-making.

I predict Jimmer per 36 3pt attempts will be 6.8+ at 38+3pt%.

[Chinook]

Either Jimmer or Simmons needs to take some of the play-making responsibilities from manu this year. Too much of this conversation is focused on Jimmer's ability to space the floor. He'll be signed as insurance to patty's shooting and manu and simmon's play-making.

I predict Jimmer per 36 3pt attempts will be 6.8+ at 38+3pt%.

Dunno why you leave out Anderson, who's both a better play-maker and more likely to be in the rotation.

[AFBlue]

Great article, thanks for posting NASpurs.

[AFBlue]

why the does this thread about this ty mormon got have almost 2000 replies? the is wrong with you people?

Thank you for your contribution to this thread. I'm sure your 718 other posts were just as riveting.