Sacramento wastes no time trying to capitalize on Jimmermania

If Jimmer Fredette's unmatched marketability wasn't a primary reason Sacramento took him with the 10th pick in Thursday night's NBA draft, at the very least it's clear the Kings aren't shy about capitalizing on it.

Owners Joe and Gavin Maloof put a message on the marquee outside the Palms Casino on Friday that read in five-foot red letters "Jimmer Fredette A Sacramento King." The team also encouraged fans to welcome Fredette to Sacramento at the airport Friday afternoon. And that all paled in comparison to the treatment Fredette received on the Kings' official website.

Readers were redirected to a splash page featuring a photo of Fredette in a Sacramento jersey, a Fredette highlight package and a twitter scroll of fan reaction to the draft pick all under the headline, "Welcome, Jimmer Fredette." And at the bottom of the page is a link inviting fans to buy season tickets so they can "see Jimmer live all season."

Granted Cleveland and Minnesota had less fancy splash pages for Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams, but those were the top two picks in the draft. Needless to say, there was not the same fanfare for Klay Thompson, Golden State's first-round pick one spot after Fredette at No. 11.

It's no surprise the Kings are intent on capitalizing on the addition of Fredette since this is a small-market franchise in dire need of positive buzz. Not only has Sacramento missed the playoffs each of the past five seasons, the Maloofs also attempted to relocate to Anaheim this offseason before the NBA forced them to remain in Sacramento for at least one more season to give the city time to figure out a way to fund a new arena.

Many NBA rookies might be unnerved by being anointed the new face of a franchise before even making their professional debut, but Fredette isn't likely to crumble under that pressure. He endured far worse in Provo, where he often had to hide his face behind dark shades or a hoodie if he wanted to go to class or out to dinner without being hounded by well-wishers and autograph seekers.

Ultimately, however, the success of Sacramento's Jimmer-based marketing efforts will depend on whether he's a success on the court.

If he becomes the impact point guard the Kings hope he'll be, the stands will be packed and Fredette jerseys will fly off the shelves. If he struggles with the transition to the NBA level, the buzz will fizzle within a few months.

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Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Sacramento-wastes-no-time-trying-to-capitalize-o?urn=ncaab-wp3506

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