Jimmer will make Disney Sports Network reporter, LZ Granderson eat crow

Disney Sports Network writer, EZ Granderson wrote a column, stating that despite the lost endorsement revenues, Jimmer Fredette would be better off playing for the Sacramento Kings and not the Utah Jazz. His conclusion could be correct. 

The truth is, the Utah Jazz needed Jimmer more than Jimmer needed them. The Jazz cost themselves millions upon millions in revenues by not doing what it took to draft Jimmer. (Nevermind the fact that they will be worse on the court too.)

Back to the issue at hand though. Granderson's conclusion may be correct, but his supporting points just show the subtle Jimmer hating that you can expect to see until he's holding up a Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Granderson: "Jimmer ain't all that."

This is actually is least objectionable point. Mainly, because he seems to be arguing that Jimmer perhaps is over-hyped when in fact he may be just a serviceable or good player at the end of the day. 

Like all the critics, who in the back of their mind, know just how good Jimmer really is; Granderson immediately hedges after declaring, "Jimmer ain't all that." He goes on to say, "Now, that's different from saying he isn't going to be successful. I love his game."

Granderson puts himself in a position to say that he called the hype or to put a positive spin that Jimmer even exceeded his expectations. Either way, he's covered. Perhaps that's reasonable. It seems like watered down analysis in my view though.

Granderson: "But he isn't a franchise savior, and in Utah, his relentless fame would've miscast him in that role."

Hmm. Now Granderson is starting to take a little bit more of a hard line. He is admitting his belief that Jimmer has a very earthy ceiling. 

Of course, that doesn't mean that he's completely selling out Jimmer before he even sees him step foot on an NBA court. There is nobody in the NBA right now that can pull up and drill a shot like Jimmer. There are few players in the NBA right now that can finish in the lane like Jimmer. And the guy does it while playing point and getting others involved. If that's not franchise savior potential then what is? 

Granderson: "The Kings already have budding stars in Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins to carry the burden of taking the last-second shot."

Yea and the San Antonio Spurs have Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair to carry the burden of taking the last-second shot, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. The ball will be in the hands of one of their sharks, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker.

Quite frankly, it was this Granderson statement that gave away his jealousy of Jimmer and that he is likely rooting in secret rooting for Jimmer to fail. His declaration is so far away from from reality that that is about the most rational explanation I have to figure the cause of his statement.

Tyreke Evans was constantly missing last second shots last season. He knows it and we all know it. Evans is an all-star caliber player, but at 29 percent from three he is the less than ideal person to have the ball in his hands down two or three with the clock running out. Sure you might run some plays through him because he is a distributor. But let's not pretend that Jimmer can relax so long as the ball is in Tyreke's hands. That is just truly stupid.

And the idea of DeMarcus Cousins taking a shot with the game on the line? That guy is not a shooter. He shot 43 percent from the floor and his game is based on chippies. Decorum prevents me from saying just how stupid Granderson's rationale that Cousins is a closer for the Kings.

Granderson: "Jimmer can go to Sac-Town, be inconsistent (like most rookies are) and find a way to be a contributor without the pressure that being Jimmer in Utah would have brought."

This is just another statement that shows that Granderson just doesn't get it or he's jealous and wants to defy reality or both. Jimmer doesn't need a pressure valve. Jimmer is the pressure valve. The guy thrives on pressure. He lives for it.

He's already carried the town of Glenn Falls, the state of Utah and Mormon Nation on his back. Never at any point has he shied away from the pressure. When the game is on the line, it would not matter if Kobe Bryant was his teammate. He would want the damn ball. And furthermore, he has the skill set to expect the damn ball in Sacramento. 

Being the team player Jimmer is, he might defer to Tyreke in the early going. But once he Jimmers a few teams that will change. He will be the man when the game is on the line. And he would not have it any other way.

And by the way, what's with the expectation that Jimmer will be inconsistent? Jimmer is a great shooter that can create his own shot. That means he'll have some off nights and keep on shooting. But don't expect inconsistent to be a word that describes Jimmer. That's just silly. Again, we see how Granderson is eager to lump Jimmer in with the prototypical player that struggles early in his career.

Jimmer is not prototypical though. I can guarantee that it'll be boom or bust. And frankly, my money is on boom. Expect Jimmer to turn any heads that aren't already turned. And in Granderson's case, to open the eyes on his already turned head.

Granderson: "In Utah, the public pressure to have him in the starting lineup would've made second-year coach Ty Corbin's life a living hell. Now he gets to see how lottery picks Kanter and Alec Burks (who the Jazz took at No. 12) fit in, as opposed to having to make room for Jimmer.

Sadly, Granderson seems to have nailed how Jazz management seemed to view the Jimmer situation. The Jazz seemed to be paying lip service to wanting to get Jimmer at 12 while hoping that someone would bail them out before that. It would have been interesting to see the Jazz pick at 12 with Jimmer still on the board. 

The fact that the Jazz never committed to Jimmer if he was still on the board at 12 really says a lot.

But let's get back to Granderson. First off, 'pressure to put Jimmer in the starting line-up' should not be viewed as problem. Jimmer is already slated to be the Kings starting point guard at opening tip of the 2011-2012 season. Pressure to make a starter worthy player into a starter should not be viewed as a negative at this point.

As for Kanter and Burks, they are bigger risks than Jimmer ever was going to be. We suspect that Kanter can contribute right away. However, there are doubts that he'll ever truly live up to the billing of being a three pick. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the Jazz were hoping for a Gasol or Nowitzky and may not even get another Okur.

As for Burks, his earthy ceiling is Raja Bell. Don't ever expect him to be better than that. So the Jazz did not even upgrade with their twelfth pick! And do not be surprised to see Burks toil in the D-League for two years, maybe even lead the league in scoring and then toil in the NBA a year or two before getting cut. One Morris Almond comes to mind.

The Jazz passed on a potential MVP candidate in Jimmer Fredette while drafting two players that quite likely will never come close to making an all-star team. The Jazz would have been much better off with that "public pressure."

And who says public pressure is a bad thing anyhow? In the end it's that public pressure that would have drove Jimmer to thrive while the Jazz counted their millions. 

Granderson: "Sometimes, it's better not to go home again."

Then again it usually is. That's why people routinely head home for the holidays. In Jimmer's case, a support system would have been awesome. Granderson is making the mistake of presupposing failure when Jimmer believes in himself more than any other player in the draft. If Jimmer somehow does not pan out, it won't be because of superficial excuses like hometown pressure.

Granderson: "This way, if Jimmer is a bust in Sacramento, he'll still be worshipped in Salt Lake City."

No matter what, Jimmer will be a Salt Lake City celebrity. So that is just fallacious logic. Anyways, he seriously overlooks Jimmer's potential. Jimmer full well expects to get it done on an NBA stage. In the event of failure, falling back on his old time glory is not going to give him any extra measure of consolation at the end of the day. 

If Jimmer were happy with his Glenn Falls glory or his BYU glory he would have never signed his personal contract to get to the NBA. In fact, it is time for Jimmer to sign another contract; to be an all-star and an NBA champion. He probably already has!

Granderson: "This way, if free agency or a trade down the road brings him back to Utah, fans won't be frothing at the mouth with unrealistic expectations."

This seems to be a misleading statement. Is it unrealistic to expect Fredette to be an elite NBA player? One could make the case. Is it unrealistic to think that he may be an elite NBA player? Not at all. Granderson seems to have all but written off that possibility.

Regardless, Granderson is missing the larger point. Boom or bust, the Utah fans were ready to roll the dice and accept the outcome. Nobody in Utah doubt Jimmers abilities or his heart. They are in his corner regardless of the outcome.

Consequently, the Jazz management have done their fans a great disservice. Nobody in Utah was going to hold Jazz management's feet to the fire if Jimmer did not work out. Sure the national media would do some hit pieces about a Jimmer bust. But they'll do a lot more hit pieces against them when Jimmer works out in Sacramento.

Granderson: "...Kings'coaching staff who weren't convinced Fredette is the right player for them, according to reports on Friday -- about his quickness, his size, his defense... he still has to prove he can handle playing point."

There is not one player in the NBA draft that does not come with doubts. So how is this really at all relevant? The Cleveland Cavaliers would not commit to Kyrie Irving until the last possible moment because they doubted how good he could really be.

There is no need to play doubt card. Solid players like Kawhi Leonard (among others) were still on the board at ten. The Kings clearly believed in Jimmer or they simply would have taken a pass.

And come on! 'Reports' don't mean a thing. As far as I am concerned, nobody on the Kings staff was likely to have been throwing Jimmer under the bus before he even stepped on the hardwood.

These 'reports' are just predictable manufactured garbage by media wanting to sell a tired story.

Granderson: "...so he'll (Jimmer) be under some pressure. But it's nothing like he'd have experienced in Utah."

Nonsense! The reality is that Jimmer had the more attention on him for the single elimination 2011 NCAA Tournament than any other player in NCAA Tournament history. CBS and ESPN pretty much ran marketing campaigns to trumpet him. Until Jimmer reaches a Game 7 of an NBA Finals, he'll never face more pressure than what he has already faced.

Granderson: (End of article) "Now maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Jimmer would've been just fine in Utah. Maybe his game would've blossomed there and he would've had an All-Star career. Maybe. But as a fan, I'm glad he doesn't have to find out."

Granderson does not end on his subtle Jimmer bashing schitck. Instead, he gets in a final round of hedging. Weak!

Granderson even concedes Jimmer's all-star potential. Funny. One would have never even considered such a notion while reading the first ninety-five percent of the article.

Finally, Granderson metaphorically slaps every Jimmer/Jazz fan in the face. As a fan he's allegedly glad to not see what Jimmer would have done in Utah? Are you kidding me? Every real Jimmer fan wanted to either see Jimmer go to Utah and/or play for his/her team. Don't claim to be a fan of Jimmer, Granderson. You are not a Jimmer fan. You are a Jimmer hater and you know it.



Picture: LZ Granderson