This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Jimmer Limited doesn't stop at Utah Station again until March 30.
When it does, who knows what life will be like for Fredette and the Sacramento Kings?
Keith Smart, who replaced Paul Westphal as head coach two weeks into the abbreviated season, will still be the engineer.
Unless the track the Kings are taking is miraculously repaired, however, their estimated arrival time for the NBA playoffs is somewhere around 2016.
It could take longer, too, if Sacramento fails to avoid further derailments, like the circus surrounding Wesphal's firing.
His demise was due, at least in part, to a deteriorating relationship with enigmatic center DeMarcus Cousins — a young center who can dominate one night and disappear the next.
The good news?
Cousins has been playing hard for Smart, which is a start, considering the arduous journey these Kings must make.
"We knew we were going to take our lumps early," Smart said. "It wasn't like I was coming in and taking over a playoff team. We knew the problems we have."
Only Father Time can solve one of Smart's biggest problems.
"We're dealing with a lot of young players," he said. "… It sounds like Romper Room around here sometimes because we're so young."
The Kings hope that Fredette, the ex-BYU star and first-round draft pick, will be one of the young players who lead them into the future.
Fredette has shown signs of readiness, but he has also experienced the problems associated with finding a different niche in the NBA than the one he carved so spectacularly at BYU.
Yesterday, he was king.
Today, he is one of many Kings.
"It's been inconsistent — definitely," Fredette said. "I've had some really good games and some not-so-great games. My minutes have been up and down, depending on the game.
"That's the biggest adjustment — just trying to be ready when you're called upon because sometimes you play a lot and sometimes you don't."
In a recent four-game stretch, including his Utah homecoming last week against the Jazz, Fredette averaged 16.5 points.
During the Kings' 95-92 win over Portland on Thursday night, however, Fredette didn't play.
For the first time in his professional career — maybe for the first time since he started playing basketball nearly two decades ago — Jimmer was available but didn't play.
Last week in Utah, Smart expressed confidence in Fredette but suggested there would be bumps in the road.
"He's got to make the adjustment to becoming a combination guard," Smart said. "He was kind of a roaming guard in college. Now, he has to kind of start settling into a position."
Translation: Jimmer the green-light scorer must become Jimmer the facilitator/scorer.
"He'll play off the ball some, but he has to try and be a point guard — a guy who initiates a lot of the offense," Smart said.
"He still has the range on his shot and always will. But transition-wise, the NBA is all about matchups and how you can limit some of the problems that arise."
What awaits Fredette at the end of the line?
"His skill level is going to make him a pretty good point guard in the NBA," Smart said.
More Jimmer, more Smart
• Fredette, on playing in the NBA: "It's a different level of basketball. You always hear about it, but until you actually go through it, you're not sure. … But I'll continue to get better every game. I feel I'm doing pretty well and will continue to improve. I'll keep working at it."
• Fredette, on the Kings' slow start: "You don't want to get used to it, that's the thing. You have to have that competitive fire every time you go on the floor. … Obviously we don't have a great record right now, but we've got some good wins under our belt. We know we can play with the top teams because we've beaten some of them. It's just a matter of being consistent."
• Keith Smart, on Fredette's transition to the NBA: "He has to just be himself … [and] know he has other players on his team — scorers and post-up players. You're not necessarily the [main] guy any more. So you can't come down and just put up shots when you want to. But he understands that."
• Smart, on Fredette's defense: "He's better than most people think. He has the physical abilities and the body make-up to play defense. Plus, he's a tough kid. With all that going for him, I think he's going to be better defending people in the NBA than he was in college."