After being the poster child of college basketball in his senior year, Sacramento Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette could have came into the league feeling he had nothing to prove. He featured an incredible stat line from BYU, was the team's go-to guy for all 40 minutes and seldom was required to defend on a regular basis. Fortunately for head coach Paul Westphal, Jimmer has done the exact opposite and is working at a very high level every day in practice.
Fredette's hard work has earned the praise of his teammates, most notably DeMarcus Cousins. The second-year big man had nothing but good things to say about Jimmer in this latest update from Sam Amick of SI.com.
"I love Jimmer, man," Cousins said. "Jimmer's a cool dude. He's a real good rookie. I just love the fact that he's always trying to get it right and he's always learning. He's very humble. And him being the big star that he was you kind of expect him to come in and have swag and have his chest out, but he's the complete opposite. I've enjoyed him from the beginning."
It's never easy incorporating a rookie into a system -- especially a rookie as unique and talented as Jimmer -- but it sounds like all of his King teammates have already embraced him in Sacramento. And while it takes two to tango, Fredette has reportedly done a nice job distributing the ball on the court and is learning to buy into the team concept that he did not always have to follow in college.
The Kings are one of the most exciting young teams in the league. If the group of guys are able to gel and dig in defensively, they have a chance to fight for a playoff birth in the Western Conference. Just a few weeks into his career, Jimmer Fredette is already doing his part to making this goal a reality.
For more on the Kings, head on over to Sactown Royalty.