From Opening Night through Dec. 29, New Orleans guard Jimmer Fredette scored a total of 30 points. Over the past three games – including wins over Phoenix and Houston – he’s tallied 33. In the Pelicans’ first 30 games of the regular season, Fredette shot just 12-for-45 from the field (26.7 percent), but since Dec. 30 he’s made 12 of 23 attempts. There’s an array of statistics one can use to demonstrate Fredette’s recent transformation, but the bottom line is the 6-foot-2, fourth-year pro proved instrumental in what was a fairly impressive week for the Pelicans (17-16). New Orleans picked up key Western Conference wins over the Suns and Rockets, and came within a fingernail of prevailing in San Antonio.
Fredette played a key role in each victory, starting with a nine-point game vs. Phoenix. The career 86.6 percent free-throw shooter closed out the Suns by sinking two foul shots to cap a 110-106 win. Twenty-four hours later, Fredette brought the Pelicans back from the dead on New Year’s Eve, scoring a season-high 14 points against the Spurs in a heartbreaking, two-point overtime defeat. In Friday’s rout of Houston, the BYU product notched 10 points.
A common thread in all three games for the 25-year-old has been playing time. In and out of the rotation for much of the season – he has yet to appear in more than five consecutive games – Fredette logged 20-plus minutes vs. Phoenix, San Antonio and Houston. Prior to that, he hadn’t played over 15 minutes in any game since Nov. 28.
“He’s done well. He’s just sticking to what he does, not trying to do too much,” Pelicans forward Luke Babbitt said. “He’s a good offensive player who can really score and is a good passer. He’s playing well. That’s been big for us.”
Fredette’s long-distance shooting at BYU was partly behind the well-documented “Jimmermania” craze, but he’s also proven to be a better passer than advertised. He handed out four assists vs. Phoenix and had two more against Houston. He’s also been more effective defensively, according to Monty Williams.
“The thing I’ve asked Jimmer to do is compete on the defensive end,” Williams said. “We know he can knock down shots. He hadn’t knocked down as many as he’d like to (early in the season), but he’s starting to get a rhythm. He’s just competing on the defensive end.”
“There is a lot to his game that is underrated,” Babbitt said. “Passing, making plays for other people and he’s quick with the ball. He can draw two (defenders) and make plays.”
“They just want me to be aggressive, whether it’s scoring or getting others involved,” said Fredette, who averaged 11.0 points in the last three games. “Just being a threat out there is something that helps our team. It’s a conscious effort for me to be aggressive and take what the defense gives you.”
Fredette has also pleased Williams this season with his consistency in arriving early at the Pelicans’ practice facility in Metairie, continuing to work on his game despite what had been scarce playing time.
“I like guys who work their tails off in practice,” Williams said. “The thing I’ve been impressed with with Jimmer is even in the games where he didn’t play, he’d be the first guy in the gym. He gets there right after I get there, which is pretty early. He’s on the floor working.”
“I’ve been doing that most of my career, even in Sacramento,” Fredette said. “I like to get in early. I’m an early riser. I like to get my (work) done a lot of times before practice. You just have to stay ready.
“(Williams is) depending on guys being ready when their names are called. That’s part of being a pro: You’ve got to stay in shape, stay engaged and know what’s going on out there (on the court). You can go out and produce and make a name for yourself. If you play well, hopefully you’ll continue to have opportunities and have your minutes grow.”