Saturday Slam: Jimmer Fredette's arrogance may be his downfall

     Among the mass of cuts that have taken place in the NBA over the last couple of days, Jimmer Fredette is by far the biggest name. The former college basketball sensation at BYU was released by the San Antonio Spurs earlier in the week and has once again failed to prove he belongs in the NBA. While there are a lot of reasons for why he may not be making it in the NBA, one possible explanation surfaced this week that might silence the Jimmer Fredette believers.

     That explanation is that Jimmer is arrogant and thinks his lack of NBA success has to do with the rest of the NBA being too stupid to recognize his amazing basketball abilities.

     Via Yahoo! Sports: 

"Jimmer thinks everybody is stupid," said an NBA assistant who worked with Fredette. "He thinks everybody needs to come and just turn over their offense and let him shoot it anytime he wants. That's not how the league works."

     There are one of two ways to interpret this quote. You can either say the assistant coach isn't telling the truth or you can say that this is the missing piece to the Jimmer Fredette NBA bust puzzle. I tend to think it's the latter. The only reason an NBA assistant coach would say this is if he was frustrated with Jimmer for the very reasons that he is saying. In addition, a poor attitude would certainly indicate why Jimmer Fredette hasn't been able to stay in one city for very long.

     If Jimmer Fredette is indeed an arrogant, cocky dude, then it's no surprise he keeps getting cut given the fact that he isn't a great defender and is really more of a shooting guard trapped in a point guard's body. While I wouldn't identify as a Jimmer Fredette fan in the same way that BYU fans are, I would identify as one who has believed that if he finds the right system he can succeed in the NBA. But with this report surfacing from one of his former assistant coaches, I've not only given up on Jimmer; I finally feel like I understand why no team has given him a chance.

     If Jimmer Fredette had a humble attitude and was willing to do whatever his coach asked of him, even if the role was small, he would have stuck in Sacramento, Chicago, or New Orleans. There's always a place in the NBA for guys who can stretch the floor and knock down threes.  Even if that is all they do. Those guys are called "specialty players" because they only play when their specific skill set is needed.

     Taking this report at face value, it sounds like Jimmer could have carved out a nice NBA career for himself as a specialty player if he had the right attitude. However, he has instead insulted his coaches and carried himself like he's a superstar when in reality, he's just another guy fighting for a roster spot.

     The most important quality a player can have is being coachable. If a player is coachable, he can maximize his potential and contribute to a team in a positive way. If a player isn't coachable and instead believes his coaches are "stupid", then he won't last for very long. Especially in a league as ruthless and cutthroat as the NBA. In the NBA, if there are two players of equal skill and one player is coachable and the other player is arrogant, then it'll be the coachable guy who makes the team every time.

     I don't blame Jimmer Fredette for having confidence coming out of college. He had one of the most sensational college basketball careers we've ever seen. However, he failed to recognize that when you get to the NBA, you have to hit the reset button. Nobody cares what you did in college. Nobody cares how many points you scored or how many highlight reels you were on.

     In the NBA, the only thing teams care about is what you can do right now. Instead of putting his nose to the grindstone and having the humility to recognize this, Jimmer instead decided to behave like a prima donna and alienate himself from anybody who told him he wasn't an NBA superstar. It's sad that he had to have this approach to his NBA career, but at the end of the day, he's the only one to blame.

Daily Dunks: 10/19-10/25/15

                                                   (Credit: Andy Melton. Click here for source) 

     Here is my NBA Daily Dunks page for October 19, 2015 through October 25, 2015. Throughout the week this page will be updated with news from across the NBA until a new Daily Dunks page is created for the following week.

Monday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Warriors signed small forward Xavier Henry (Click here for details).

#2. The Heat signed guard Briante Weber and waived guard Corey Hawkins (Click here for details).

#3. The Magic waived guard Keith Appling and guard Jordan Siebert (Click here for details).

#4. Bucks forward John Henson alleges that a jewelry store discriminated against him (Click here for details).

#5. Mike Krzyzewski will retire from USA Basketball after the 2016 Olympics (Click here for details).

#6. The Cavaliers actually did not pull their 5 year, $80M offer from Tristan Thompson (Click here for details).

#7. Tim Duncan says Manu Ginobili looks the best he's seen in years (Click here for details).

#8. Lamar Odom is improving and starting to do some physical therapy (Click here for details).

#9. Knicks owner James Dolan says the woman who sued Isiah Thomas over sexual harassment made it up (Click here for details).

#10. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr remains out indefinitely (Click here for details).

#11. Chris Webber will teach a masters class at Wake Forest University (Click here for details).

#12. Cavaliers head coach David Blatt says LeBron James "absolutely" will be good to go on opening night (Click here for details).

#13. Clippers guard Austin Rivers is recovering from a hard elbow to the mouth (Click here for details).

#14. Mavericks center JaVale McGee remains out indefinitely (Click here for details).

Monday's NBA preseason scores: 

Hornets 94 Bulls 86. Cavaliers 103 Mavericks 97. Celtics 111 Nets 105. Rockets 120 Pelicans 100. Lakers 104 Trail Blazers 102.

Tuesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Celtics waived Levi Randolph, Coty Clarke, and Malcom Miller (Click here for details).

#2. The Utah Jazz waived Bryce Cotton and Treveon Graham (Click here for details).


#3. Report: Gregg Popovich is the number one choice to be the new USA Basketball head coach (Click here for details).

#4. Jim Buss believes the Lakers have "turned the corner" (Click here for details).

#5. Bucks forward John Henson accepts the jewelry stores' apology (Click here for details).

#6. Andre Drummond won't sign an extension with the Pistons (Click here for details).

#7. Wizards forward Martell Webster is still out with a hip injury (Click here for details).

#8. GMs have voted James Harden, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Marc Gasol as the best last their positions (Click here for details).

#9. NBA GMs vote Anthony Davis the player they would prefer to start their franchise with (Click here for details).

#10. NBA GMs voted the Cavaliers as favorites for the title and LeBron James for MVP (Click here for details).

#11. Lance Stephenson likes the Clippers' chances to win a title (Click here for details).

#12. Nuggets center Jusuf Turkic could return in November (Click here for details).

#13. The Magic plan to exercise Shabazz Napier's third year option (Click here for details).

#14. Boban Marjanovic says Tim Duncan has helped him a lot (Click here for details).

Tuesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Bulls 103 Pacers 94. Bucks 106 Timberwolves 88. Suns 104 Spurs 84. Thunder 113 Jazz 102. Clippers 130 Warriors 95.

Wednesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Knicks head coach Derek Fisher confirmed today that Kristaps Porzingis will start opening night (Click here for details).

#2. The Utah Jazz signed forward E.J. Singler (Click here for details).

#3. The Timberwolves exercised their contract options on Zach LaVine, Adreian Payne, Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng, and Shabazz Muhammad (Click here for details).

#4. Stanley Johnson may or may not start for the Pistons (Click here for details).

#5. Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian are calling off their divorce (Click here for details).

#6. The Spurs waived Jimmer Fredette, Youssou Ndoye, Keifer Sykes, and Deshaun Thomas (Click here for details).

#7. The Bucks waived Jorge Gutierrez, Marcus Landry, and Josh Powell (Click here for details).

#8. The Bulls may use Joakim Noah as a reserve (Click here for details).

#9. The Lakers waived Michael Frazier II and Robert Upshaw (Click here for details).

#10. The Nets waived Ryan Boatright, Quincy Miller, and Chris Daniels (Click here for details).

#11. The Cavaliers signed power forward Tristan Thompson to a 5 year, $82M deal (Click here for details).

#12. Pelicans shooting guard Tyreke Evans is out 6-8 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee (Click here for details).

#13. Hornets center Al Jefferson is confident that he'll bounce back with better shooting around him (Click here for details).

#14. Suns center Tyson Chandler thinks the Mavericks have painted his departure from Dallas in the wrong light (Click here for details).

#15. Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder will look for other places to play if he can't be a starter (Click here for details).

#16. Hawks small forward Thabo Sefolosha is suing the NYPD (Click here for details).

#17. In light of the sexual assault allegations against him, Kevin Johnson isn't seeking reelection as mayor of Sacramento (Click here for details).

#18. Carmelo Anthony says the Knicks will use their 27-win projection as motivation (Click here for details).

#19. John Calipari is seeking the USA Basketball head coaching job (Click here for details).

#20. Byron Scott says Marcelinho Huertas has "pretty much solidified a spot" on the Lakers (Click here for details).

Wednesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Grizzlies 82 Hawks 81. Magic 110 Pelicans 107 (OT). Hornets 99 Pistons 94. Heat 110 Wizards 105. Suns 99 Mavericks 87.

Thursday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The NBA and the NBA Players Association will begin new Collective Bargaining Agreement talks in November (Click here for details).

#2. LaMarcus Aldridge says the Trail Blazers did everything they could (Click here for details).

#3. The Kings waived guard David Stockton. Eric Moreland will make the team (Click here for details).

#4. Mavericks small forward Wesley Matthews hopes to play on Friday (Click here for details).

#5. Nike is opening a Jordan Brand only store in Chicago (Click here for details).

#6. Lamar Odom underwent two emergency surgeries, but he is doing better (Click here for details).

#7. Jason Kidd really likes Giannis Antetokounmpo's versatility (Click here for details).

#8. Derrick Rose admits to still having double-vision. He hopes to play on Friday (Click here for details).

#9. To make room for Tu Holloway on their roster, the Mavericks waived Jarrid Famous (Click here for details).

#10. Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is day-to-day with a sore foot (Click here for details).

#11. The Magic waived forward Melvin Ejim (Click here for details).

#12. The Magic waived center Greg Stiemsma (Click here for details).

#13. The Bulls waived guards Jordan Crawford and Marcus Simmons (Click here for details).

#14. The Cavaliers waived forward Nick Minnerath (Click here for details).

#15. The Hawks waived small forward Terran Petteway (Click here for details).

#16. The Thunder waived four players (Click here for details).

#17. The Spurs signed forward Julian Washburn to a non-guaranteed deal (Click here for details).

#18. The Thunder signed Michael Cobbins and Mustafa Farrakhan to non-guaranteed deals (Click here for details).

#19. The Jazz waived forward E.J. Singler (Click here for details).

#20. LeBron James is still not practicing after his back injection (Click here for details).

Thursday's NBA preseason scores: 

Pacers 98 Hornets 86. Celtics 99 Knicks 85. Jazz 98 Nuggets 78. Warriors 136 Lakers 97. Clippers 115 Trail Blazers 109.

Friday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Jimmer Fredette reportedly treats everybody on his team like they are stupid (Click here for details).

#2. Deron Williams and Wes Matthews played for the Mavericks in their preseason finale (Click here for details)

#3. LeBron James may not play in the Cavaliers' season opener (Click here for details).

#4. Pacers forward Paul George is adjusting well to the power forward position (Click here for details).

#5.  The NBA now offers direct access to game streams on Twitter and Facebook (Click here for details).

#6. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose played on Friday, returning from an orbital bone fracture (Click here for details).

#7. Rick Carlisle believes the Mavericks should retire Tyson Chandler's number (Click here for details).

#8. NBA commissioner Adam Silver expects a shorter preseason in the future (Click here for details).

#9. Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson injured his shoulder (Click here for details).

#10. The Thunder exercised options on Steven Adams, Andre Roberson, and Mitch McGary (Click here for details).

#11. The Hornets waived Sam Thompson, Jason Washburn, Damien Wilkins, and Elliot Williams (Click here for details).

#12. The Cavaliers waived Austin Daye, D.J. Stephens, Dionte Christmas, and Jack Cooley (Click here for details).

#13. The Lakers waived forward Jonathan Holmes (Click here for details).

#14. The Warriors waived Chris Babb, Jarell Eddie, Xavier Henry, and Chris Udofia (Click here for details).

#15. The Trail Blazers waived Phil Pressey and Omari Johnson (Click here for details).

#16. The Knicks waived Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Darion Atkins, DaJuan Summers, Travis Trice II, and Wesley Saunders (Click here for details).

#17. The Pistons waived Cartier Martin, Adonis Thomas, and Jordan Bachynski (Click here for details).

#18. Heat small forward Gerald Green has been fined $25K for gun gestures (Click here for details).

#19. The Rockets waived Chris Walker, Jeremy Tyler, Will Cummings, and Denzel Livingston (Click here for details).

#20. The Pelicans waived Sean Kilpatrick and Chris Douglas-Roberts (Click here for details).

#21. Gregg Popovich is the new head coach of USA Basketball (Click here for details).

Friday's NBA preseason scores: 

Magic 86 Grizzlies 76. Timberwolves 112 Bucks 108. Celtics 81 76ers 65. Pistons 115 Hawks 87. Raptors 92 Wizards 82. Pelicans 93 Heat 90. Bulls 103 Mavericks 102. Spurs 111 Rockets 86.

Saturday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. A whole bunch of guys were waived from across the NBA as teams have to get their roster sizes down to 15 guys by Tuesday. Rather than littering the page with all of them, which takes up time for me, I have provided four links that will give you all the information you need as to who was waived this weekend. (Click here for link 1. Click here for link 2. Click here for link 3. Click here for link 4.)

#2. Knicks guard Arron Afllalo is expected to miss two weeks with a hamstring strain (Click here for details).

#3. The Hornets' D-League team will play in Greensboro, North Carolina (Click here for details).

#4. 76ers forward Robert Covington is out two weeks with a sprained MCL & bone bruise in his right knee (Click here for details).

Sunday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Timberwolves president Flip Saunders passed away at the age of 60 (Click here for details).

#2. Robert Upshaw has cleared waivers and will play for the Lakers' D-League affiliate (Click here for details).

#3. The Pelicans hope to sign point guard Ish Smith, but the 76ers may snatch him (Click here for details).

#4. The Utah Jazz claimed point guard Phil Pressey off waivers from the Trail Blazers (Click here for details).

#5. The Utah Jazz signed guard Eric Atkins (Click here for details).


---Ben Parker: Follow me on twitter @nba_lord to keep up with the NBA. Also, like my NBA Facebook page NBA Lord Nation and follow my NBA google plus page NBA Lord. 

Eurostep Sunday: Jimmer Fredette should sign with Olimpia Milano

 
  Jimmer Fredette has really had his ups and downs when it comes to his basketball career. After having a phenomenal career at Brigham Young University, his NBA career has been been a disappointment. The Kings didn't want him, the Bulls didn't want him, and now it appears as though the Pelicans don't want him, either. He has shown flashes of his college self in the NBA, but he hasn't been able to sustain it.

     While things in the NBA don't look too promising at the moment, there is some good news for Jimmer. EA7 Emporio Armani Milano a.k.a. "Olimpia Milano" of the Serie A League and Euroleague, has offered him a contract with the goal of making him a featured part of their team. Via Sportando.com:

Olimpia Milano made an important offer to Jimmer Fredette, according to sources.
The former BYU guard is considering the proposal of the Italian team even if his first goal is to remain in the NBA.
Selected with the 10th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, Fredette averaged 6.1 points per game in 229 contests in the NBA in 13 minutes on the court.
Fredette would have a key role in the next Olimpia Milano who already parted ways with Daniel Hackett and coach Luca Banchi, extended Alessandro Gentile through 2018 and hired Jasmin Repesa as head coach

     While it's true that the NBA is the best basketball league in the world, it's not always the case that staying in the NBA is better than going overseas. Especially if your end goal is to have the best basketball career possible. If Jimmer Fredette wants to continue riding the pine in the NBA and sign for veteran minimum contracts, he can go right ahead and cash those $1.4M checks for the next four or five years. The money isn't bad and he can have the comforts of home. If on the other hand he wants to actually have a more memorable basketball career, make more money, and up his chances of improving his NBA stock, he should sign with Olimpia Milano.

     One of the things I want to make VERY clear is that Olimpia Milano isn't just some random European team. They are a team with a tremendous amount of pride, history, and tradition. They were founded in 1936, making them one of the oldest basketball teams in the world. In addition, they have had tremendous success over the years, winning 26 championships in the Serie A League (Italian League), three titles in the Euroleague, and various other titles as well. This team is the Boston Celtics of Italy and one of the greatest basketball franchises in all of Europe with more representatives in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame than any other team outside the NBA.

     To play basketball for this team is truly a tremendous honor given their rich history and tradition. Especially when they want to make you their featured player. Jimmer Fredette would get more recognition and have a more fulfilling basketball career as a star with Olimpia Milano than he would playing for some bottom feeder of the NBA like the 76ers or the Knicks. He could help Olimpia Milano win their first Euroleague title since 1988 and help them continue their dominance of the Serie A League. He could become a hero in the city of Milan and possibly get his number 32 retired.

     In addition to having more fame, recognition, and success on the basketball court, Jimmer Fredette also probably makes more money playing for Olimpia Milano. Most top-flight European teams are able to offer a couple of players more money than they would get in the NBA. For example, Nick Calathes of the Grizzlies is strongly considering signing a three year, $6M contract with Panathinaikos B.C. in Greece, a team that also plays in the Euroleague. I don't know exactly what kind of money Olimpia Milano is offering Jimmer Fredette, but I'd imagine it's significantly more money than the NBA's veteran minimum amount. It's safe to say that they are willing to pay him at least $2.5M per season and possibly more.

     When you consider the fact that he has an opportunity to make more money and have a better legacy as a professional basketball player, signing with Olimpia Milano really does seem like the right decision for Jimmer Fredette. In addition, he would up his chances of having a better career in the NBA by taking a couple of years off to showcase his skills in the Euroleague, which is the second best basketball league in the world behind the NBA. He would be able to polish his game and come back to the NBA as a more confident player.

     In conclusion, if Jimmer Fredette is looking to make the best decision for his long-term basketball career, signing with Olimpia Milano is the best move to make at this point in time. They'll pay him better and give him a role that he would be much more comfortable with. Part of Fredette's issue has been that no team has really opened up to him. Every NBA team has been too afraid to give him a significant role on their team.  Olimpia Milano is the first pro team to open up to him and say "We believe in you." Jimmer should reward them for showing this kind of faith in him and use this as a chance to show NBA teams that they made a mistake by giving up on him so soon.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA and Euroleague basketball news 

With A New Team In Chicago, It Is Time For Jimmer Fredette To Produce

                                               image from: nba.si.com 

It is no secret that Jimmer Fredette had a rocky time during his days with the Sacramento Kings. Ever since his rookie season, it had been more than obvious that the Kings didn't want him around. The blossoming of young point guard Isaiah Thomas was one of the earliest signs that this team didn't want him around, but even aside from that, they never really gave him a chance to shine and do his thing which is score the basketball. But now that he is out of California's state capital and on a new team with the Chicago Bulls, he can put those ugly days in Sacramento to rest and start afresh in the Windy City. While it may take a little bit of time for Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau to break Jimmer Fredette into the rotation, Jimmer's stop in Chicago is an opportunity for him to show that the Kings made a mistake in giving up on him, and prove that he belongs in the NBA has one of the better scorers in the game. If he can't establish that in Chicago, he may be forced to face the music that he is destined to be a bench warmer for the rest of his career.

The main reason I say this is because Chicago should be a great fit for him. The Bulls need scoring, 3-point shooting, and also depth at the point guard position without Derrick Rose. Plus, the Bulls defend so well that they should be able to mask Jimmer's one weakness which is on-the-ball defending. If the Bulls can't find Jimmer a comfortable role on their team with their needs and also their primary strength, it's gonna look really bad for Jimmer Fredette going forward.

Now as to what I think will happen, I think that Jimmer Fredette will eventually find a nice little role on this team. I don't say "little" to make it come off like he won't do much, but "little" as in he will fulfill his small role nicely which is to come off the bench and score in addition to running the point. D.J. Augustin and Kirk Hinrich are the only capable point guards on the Bulls right now, which should mean that Jimmer Fredette will eventually see some solid minutes at the point guard position. Hinrich and Augustin are good enough that if Jimmer struggles, they will take over the point position without him if needed, but Tom Thibodeau would love to give those guys more rest if Jimmer Fredette could produce. That is why I think Jimmer will get a fair shot with the Bulls, which thus means I think he will succeed. Getting a fair shot is all that Jimmer has needed and now that he will get one on the Bulls, I expect him to succeed and prove himself capable of helping out other teams in the future should he not end up on the Bulls for the long term.

In conclusion, Jimmer Fredette has a golden opportunity to prove himself in Chicago and put his rocky past in Sacramento behind him. He is on a good team with a good coach who has the resources he needs to succeed and also the need for a player like him to come along. Chicago on paper should be a nice fit for Jimmer, which is why now is the time for Jimmer Fredette to produce and prove to the NBA who he actually is.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord