Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Jimmer Fredette has begun his professional journey by taking part in the 2011 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Fredette participated in team interviews Wednesday night, then hit the floor Thursday morning for an hour of drills and workouts with ten other point guards.
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Skipping the morning session were the projected top three point guards at the combine: Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker. While Knight and Walker will take part in agility testing, Irving is skipping every on-floor session. Fredette is taking part in all sessions.
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In Thursday morning coverage aired on ESPNU, Fredette showed well in a variety of dribbling, shooting and defensive drills. In particular, his three-point shooting was notable, mostly for how comfortable was in shooting from NBA 3pfg range. Not every shot was aired, but Fredette was shown making at least half of the NBA threes he shot on camera.
BYU fans will not be surprised that the NBA three-point shot is an easy shot for Fredette; he was taking and making the 23'9" shot quite casually. While other players were perceptibly loading up for the long bomb, Fredette was just stroking. It was something to see.
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After his workout, Fredette told ESPNU's Andy Katz that "I think I did pretty well; I shot the ball pretty well from the 3 pt line, thought I did a pretty good job on defense as well."
Fredette added that he thinks he can be a better defender at the next level and maybe should have been better on defense while at BYU. He acknowledged that he was asked to do a lot on offense for the Cougars and was always conscious of staying out of foul trouble.
I will note that Fredette ended his BYU career fourth on the school's alltime steals list, trailing only Jackson Emery, Danny Ainge and Marty Haws.
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BYU head hoops coach Dave Rose is also on hand in Chicago, and asked by Katz what part of Fredette's game he needed to work on;. Rose said you can find weaknesses in every player's game, but then said "I won't question anything (about Jimmer's game); his ability to score the ball is special."
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The web site draftexpress.com is surveying NBA personnel at the combine and Fredette was identified as a morning standout. At the same time, NBA folks aren't necessarily enamored of the format that features very little player-on-player action and no five-on-five play.
Still to come is another day of drills; coverage will continue on ESPNU Friday morning from 8:00am-noon MT. NBATV airs its coverage Thursday and Friday afternoon from noon-4:00pm MT.
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ESPN draft insider Chad Ford (also a BYU-Hawaii professor) has released his second mock draft. Ford has Fredette going 13th to the Phoenix Suns; he has the Jazz taking PG Brandon Knight 3rd and Florida State SF Chris Singleton 12th.
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