CHICAGO — BYU’s Jimmer Fredette, out of upstate Glens Falls, doesn’t mind if he falls out of the lottery, even if it costs him money on his rookie contract. All Fredette wants is a team where he’s a good fit.
And, yes, Fredette, the National Player of the Year, believes Mike D’Antoni’s high-speed Knicks, who select 17th, are a match made in heaven.
Fredette, the BYU 6-foot-1 sharpshooting point guard, told The Post at yesterday’s pre-draft camp here he has agreed to work out for the Knicks in Westchester on June 2.
“It’s a team that’s definitely intriguing especially with their style of play,” Fredette said yesterday. “Being able to get up and down the court, that’s what we did at BYU. That’s how I feel comfortable playing. Obviously, being from New York and liking the Knicks growing up, we’ll see.”
Can Fredette fall to 17 or would the Knicks have to trade up a few notches? Because of Fredette’s alleged defensive shortcomings and questions on whether he is a floor general, Fredette could slip despite his blistering 28.9 scoring average.
“My expectations are trying to be able to get into the right fit for me,” Fredette said. “I don’t necessary care how high I get picked. I just want to get picked in the right situation. That’s the longevity of your career. If you get picked in the right spot, you have a great system you flourish in, the next contract is what you worry about. You just have to get in the right situation, show you can play well and go from there.”
D’Antoni adores sweet shooters like Fredette. He’s been on the Knicks’ radar for a while. One year ago, Fredette worked out for the Knicks and strained his quad muscle, cutting the session short. Days later, he decided to pull out of the draft. Fredette said he was looking for a guarantee and didn’t get one.
ESPN’s draft savant, Fran Fraschilla, can see Fredette drop to 17. Draftexpress.com, one of the more reliable draft websites, has Fredette ranked as the draft’s 17th best player.
It could hinge on whether Utah will pass on Fredette twice, as it holds the third and 12th picks. Utah could be willing to trade its second pick and Knicks owner James Dolan is willing to throw money around.
“I think the big question with Jimmer: Is he Steve Nash or Steve Kerr,” Fraschilla said. “Can he run a team? Can he pass the ball? Or is he going to be a spot up shooter with deadly range. At the very worst he stretches a defense because of his shooting ability. The question mark is can he be a playmaker as well.”
And can he defend the quicker point guards. Fredette thought he did well in yesterday’s defensive drills.
“I think I impressed them,” Fredette said. “Defensively I think I did pretty well in the 1-on-1 stuff. That’s what they want to see most. They know I can shoot the ball. But they want to see the defensive end and see that lateral quickness. I think I did well with that. Defense is a mindset. I have the ability to do it if you put your mind to it. That’s the big key of mine going to the next level.”
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The Knicks also are in love with undersized power forward rebounding machine, Newark’s Kenneth Faried of Morehead State, but his stock continues rising after solid workouts yesterday and may not be there at 17, according to some scouts.
“It’s interesting to be a sleeper,” Faried said. “Not many people know how good I am. Scouts do. They know my potential.”
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Kansas point guard Josh Selby, who had a disappointing freshman year because of a suspension and a foot injury, received an encouraging text message from fellow Baltimore product Carmelo Anthony Wednesday before interviewing with Knicks president Donnie Walsh.
“He texted me to stay focused, and I have a clean slate and it’s like starting over,” said Selby, friends with Anthony since his senior year. “He’s been mentoring me.”
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Duke star Kyrie Irving — a former St. Patrick (N.J.) point guard and a potential No. 1 pick for the Cavaliers — raised eyebrows yesterday when he refused to do the closed-door workouts at the NBA combine despite playing just 11 games as a freshman with the Blue Devils.