Due to the 82-game schedule, a hectic travel itinerary and assorted in-season obligations, it’s not always easy for an NBA player to follow the nightly developments of other teams, but Jimmer Fredette made sure to regularly check New Orleans Pelicans box scores last winter. He was interested in tracking the play of one of his former Sacramento teammates, Tyreke Evans, who signed with the Pelicans as a free agent in July 2013. As he scanned NBA.com or ESPN.com, Fredette noticed a significant change in Evans as the season progressed, particularly in March and April.
“He had some great games,” said Fredette, a recent New Orleans free-agent pickup who previously played with Evans in 2011-12 and 2012-13. “I was able to keep up with it a little bit. I wasn’t able to watch a ton (of games), but I always keep up with the stats, seeing how he was doing, and seeing how all of my former teammates have done. I know he had a great end of the year. I think he’s going to bring that into this season.”
Indeed, if there were such a thing as an NBA in-season Most Improved Player award, Evans would’ve been an excellent candidate. In virtually every area, Evans was a more productive player after the ’14 All-Star break, increasing his scoring average (12.6 to 17.4), rebounding (4.3 to 5.4) and assists (4.3 to 6.3). He was also a drastically more accurate shooter, upping his field-goal percentage from a subpar 41.1 to a solid 46.6.
Evans’ statistical uptick closely coincided with the decision to move him into the starting lineup on Feb. 28, after he’d come off the bench in each of his first 49 appearances. Despite an extremely short-handed roster, New Orleans went 11-11 in Evans’ 22 late-season starts, including a five-game winning streak that was highlighted by victories over playoff-bound Miami, Brooklyn, the L.A. Clippers and Atlanta. The Pelicans were 21-29 overall when Evans came off the bench and just 2-8 in games he missed due to injury.
“I think he was just starting to feel more comfortable in the system,” said Fredette, who was traded midway through last season by Sacramento to Chicago. “Maybe sometimes it can take a player a bit longer to get comfortable and to get to know everyone and exactly what he needs to do. So I’m excited about him this year, having a great year, being able to start right from the get-go, because he’s already been through that learning curve.”
As Fredette himself adjusts to a new team in New Orleans, he’ll have the advantage of familiarity with two of his past NBA teammates. Fredette and Evans also played with Pelicans free-agent signee John Salmons in Sacramento for two seasons. During the 2012-13 season, Evans, Salmons and Fredette were the Kings’ second-, sixth- and ninth-leading scorers, respectively.
“I know them pretty well on a personal basis,” Fredette said. “They’re both great guys. I really enjoyed my time with both of them. It’s kind of funny how we all ended up on the same team again. I’m excited about that opportunity, because those are two guys that I really like and really respect. Both of them can really play this game. John is a veteran who has been around the league a long time and has been through a lot. I think he can help bring some veteran leadership to the younger guys. He’s done a lot of great things in this league. I’m excited to reunite with them and know some familiar faces going into training camp.”