Like it or not, Jimmer Fredette will hear his name called in the NBA Draft on Thursday night.  Yes, the Glens Falls native is an NBA player.

But which team will he go to and when will Jimmer be drafted?

I'm going to answer that objectively for you.

I think Jimmer Fredette will be drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th overall pick.

Phoenix's run and gun style makes sense.

Jimmer has said that 3 teams really fit his playing style: the Suns, the Jazz and the Knicks.  I don’t think he’ll be around long enough for the Knicks at #17.

And I don’t think Utah will take him because Utah is going to take Kentucky's Brandon Knight with the 3rd pick and then take a big man with their 12th selection like a Markieff Morris or Chris Singleton type of player.

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Phoenix loves to run and gun.  They play an up-tempo style that is conducive to Jimmer’s game.

This is the type of offense he was in at BYU.  High paced, high scoring that allowed Jimmer to do what he does best.  Shoot the ball and create his shot.  Now imagine if he didn’t have to handle the ball 90% of the time?

Jimmer isn't athletic?  Really?  Over half of his baskets were scored in the paint. He can shoot from anywhere off the dribble. He’s got a strong body. He’s a good passer and a fiery personality. He's also a great leader.

Jimmer is the best shooter in the draft.  And the rule is that if you can shoot, the NBA will find a place for you.

Fredette's role on an NBA team will be different than what it was at BYU.  Jimmer won't be asked to score 40 points a night.  He was double or triple teamed all year and still led the nation in scoring.

The Suns have Steve Nash in place at point guard.  He doesn’t need to come in and be a starter.  Fredette and Nash were very similar coming out of college.  Nash never had great size or leaping ability and isn’t known for defense but he’s got serious point guard skills.

But imagine if Jimmer could go to Phoenix and learn under Nash?  It’s all about the right fit in the NBA and I think the Suns are a great fit.  Phoenix also needs a back-up point guard.

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Despite what you might think, Jimmer Fredette can play defense.

When I asked his dad, Al, about this last week.  He said that every NBA team that worked Jimmer out were all impressed with how well he played defense.  They wondered why he didn’t do that in college.

Jimmer told them that wasn’t what he was asked to do his senior year.  The coaches wanted him to save his energy for offense since BYU had no real scorers around him.  They also wanted him to stay out of foul trouble.

The NBA teams then asked why he wasn’t playing defense with 3:00 to go and with only a foul.  His dad said he just developed bad habits his senior year.  But if a team asks him to play defense, he’ll do it.

He's overcome odds his entire career.  He's been proving doubters wrong for years.  The NBA is just his next challenge.

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