We might have watched him miss slightly more than we are used to tonight; and other nights, we watch him hit so many that it is nearly unbelievable! Whether he is a little off, or being classic Jimmer nailing what seems like every shot, taking those deep "Jimmer three's" is the part that shocks us all.
Some may say he is over-rated, and maybe they are sick of hearing about this amazingly talented New Yorker--but whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that the way he plays is nothing short of remarkable.
The deep three pointer that Jimmer so often takes has come to be his trademark. Fans talk about it amongst themselves like it is something no one has ever seen before, and trying to explain it to someone who has not watched Jimmer play before is nearly impossible. The shot from about five feet behind the three point line has helped the Cougars with their record and rankings this season (not to discredit the great talent coming from the rest of the BYU basketball team) and has got Fredette incredible amounts of attention.
And why not talk about it?
This shot has the potential to set a totally new standard for college basketball as we know it.
People like Willie Mays did things differently in their game, and along with this, they changed the way that others played it--they set a new standard for the sports. All it took was one player willing to try something different, that is ALL it took, and the game changed forever.
However, in some cases, we see players who seem to just simply be super-human. The athletes that played with Michael Jordan could hardly compare to his skills that left so many people in awe. He did things that still remain fairly untouchable today. He, too, did things differently, and did change the game, but was always looked at as an extraordinary athlete that was just the uncontested best.
Now, before you get to calling me crazy for comparing a Mountain West college athlete to the legendary "greats" that are known by every sports fan, let me just say that Jimmer Fredette is linked to them because of how great he is in his sport and his league. Of course, I am not saying that he is as great as Michael Jordan, but there is no doubt that he has the potential to be a legend in basketball.
The "Jimmer three" also has great potential--potential to change the standards of college basketball. His willingness to shoot those deep, fan-thrilling shots could be that one thing that could change the game forever.
Then again, other players can start shooting like Jimmer, or they can believe he is just simply super-human. Maybe this shot is untouchable. Sure, we see it on occasion from other players, and it is seen a lot in the last seconds of close games; still, there is a chance that no one will ever grow as comfortable and consistent with this shot as Fredette is.
Whether a new standard has been set, or whether we just simply call him super-human, there is no doubt that the "Jimmer Three" is a monumental thing for basketball.
(BYU-69. Wyoming-62. 2/2/11)
No comments:
Post a Comment