The New York Knicks have had an open roster spot for the majority of the season but have been hesitant to fill it for the most part. Thanasis Antetokounpo received a 10-day contract earlier in the season to fill that spot, but he made virtually no impact so the spot opened up again. The Knicks hoped to maybe fill the spot at the trade deadline, but that was unsuccessful so that spot remains open. Now the spot will be going to Jimmer Fredette who has been playing with the Knicks' D-League affiliate, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York.
Fredette has been all over the place this season, as he started with the San Antonio Spurs, went to the D-League, played with New Orleans for a short stint, then back to the D-League, now the Knicks. Fredette was in camp with the Spurs and actually had a leg up for a roster spot as his contract was guaranteed, but he was unable to beat out a few non-guaranteed players. Fredette was unable to make much of an impact in New Orleans during his 10-day deal there, but he has been filling it up in the D-League.
Fredette has been averaging more than 22 points per game for the Westchester Knicks, but the question now becomes will he make an impact in the NBA? The short answer is likely no, but there is still a chance. The Knicks very badly need help at the point guard position; Fredette won't be a saving grace there, but he can be helpful as he is a very good shooter.
The Knicks' current point guards are Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant. Calderon is a good shooter, but he is dreadul on the defensive end, much like Fredette. Grant has struggled mightily in his rookie year as the backup, and that might be where Fredette can steal some minutes. Let's not forget that Fredette is only on a 10-day contract so he has a limited amount of time to impress the Knicks. If Fredette impresses enough he can get a second 10-day deal, and after that the Knicks would have to decide if they want to keep him for the remainder of the season.
As for what type of impact he might have, interim head coach Kurt Rambis seems pretty skeptical, according to Brian Mahoney of the Sacramento Bee.
"He obviously can shoot the basketball, that's what he's known for. But we've got to see if he can actually handle the basketball and be able to create shots for himself and create shots for others. Guys are much bigger, stronger, longer, quicker, faster, so it takes a certain kind of person that can play at this level," said Rambis.
Given the fact that the Knicks are quickly falling out of the playoff race and Grant shows no signs of breaking out of his season-long funk, it wouldn't be a surprise if Fredette got a legitimate audition. His contract is scheduled to begin on Monday, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, at which point he will have a lot to prove.
The best bet is that Jimmer will have very little impact for the Knicks considering he has struggled in the NBA since being drafted in 2011. Fredette, though, is a career 38 percent three-point shooter, so he at least has that going for him. The 26-year-old should certainly be given the opportunity to succeed in his stint with the Knicks, but given his history it is hard to imagine Fredette making any sort of noticeable impact.
