Iman Shumpert Showing Positive Signs in Preseason

Ever since the Knicks drafted Iman Shumpert back in 2011, there has been a lot of hype around the athletic wingman about what he could potentially become. We caught a glimpse of the kind of talent Shumpert contains in his rookie season. At the time, the Georgia Tech product was a ferocious defender and fearless attacking the basket. A terrible injury sustained in the playoffs that spring sidelined the rookie until January of the following year.

In his second year, Shumpert was coming off ACL surgery and may have came back too soon. With that in mind, it was easy to see the hesitance in Shumpert’s game through out the 2012-13 season. He wasn’t nearly as explosive attacking the basket, and his lateral quickness seemed to be lacking as well. However, he surprised everyone with one of the greatest dunks in Knicks history in the playoffs.

In what was supposed to be Shumpert’s breakout year last year, the third year guard severely disappointed. After finally being healthy for the first time in a while, Shumpert headed into the season as the starting small forward or shooting guard, depending on what strategy Mike Woodson was going with that night. Shumpert got off to an abysmal start and found his name swirling in trade rumors. Before he knew it, Shumpert was shooting just 37.8% from the field. J.R. Smith began starting by the end of the year and Shumpert saw his meaningful minutes dwindle under Woodson.

It seems like we have been talking about Iman Shumpert’s potential for an eternity now. But for the first time ever, Shumpert has a coach who is looking to develop him as a basketball player and play to his strengths. Many questioned whether or not the triangle offense would be a good fit for the Knicks’ best defender, sparking a debate amongst fans on who should start at the shooting guard position. When Carmelo Anthony was moved back to small forward, Shumpert’s competition for starting became that much more intense. We all know what J.R. Smith is capable of, and with sophomore sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. breathing down his neck, this was the make or break year for Shumpert.

What we have seen thus far in the preseason is that whatever he is doing with Derek Fisher this year, it is helping. Shumpert through his first five preseason games has looked like a completely different player. He is attacking the basket more and settling less for deep jump shots. When he is taking jump shots however, he is more in the flow of the offense, which increases his chances of making them. He has also flashed the ability to become an excellent playmaker, specifically when he had a team-high 6 assists in 19 minutes against Toronto. If you remember, the Knicks tried Shumpert out at point guard in his rookie season. The results weren’t great as he took way too many shots instead of setting up his teammates. Three years later, Shumpert has evolved. He accepts his role in the offense as a supplementary scorer and hits the open man. When Shumpert is in the game this preseason, the ball movement is fantastic. He also has the ability to run a two man game to near perfection with Jason Smith and Amar’e Stoudemire.

It’s things like these that show how Shumpert is finally taking that step to becoming more than just a guy with potential. He may never develop into a 20 point scorer, but he is becoming more of an asset to the team. Offensively he flashed his scoring prowess against the 76ers when he had 12 points on 5-10 shooting in 21 minutes. His perimeter defense has been outstanding per usual, and his help defense is even better. The Knicks are making better team rotations on the defensive end, and a lot of that starts with the perimeter players preventing any penetration.

Heading into his contract year, Shumpert seems to be more relaxed, and more importantly, having fun out on the court. We heard the story many times of Shumpert being “mad at the world” last year. Well now that is over and done with. A new regime is here with a new mindset and a new system. So far so good for Iman Shumpert as it appears he is a much better fit in the triangle offense as opposed to Mike Woodson’s iso-ball. Fisher has Shumpert oozing with confidence, and as a guy who plays through his “swagger,” that might be exactly what the young guard needs. It’s great to see the young guys play well, and with the way Shumpert is playing, he may just find himself back in a New York jersey next year.

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