Diagnosing New York Knicks' Weak Link for 2014-15
When Iman Shumpert hit the hardwood as a rookie swingman in 2011, he won over New York Knicks fans with his unflagging hustle, pesky defense, clutch shots and pocket-picking. With a new, fast-paced offense and a defense without Tyson Chandler, Shump is exactly what the Knicks need in 2014-15. He could be one of New York's most essential assets…or its weakest link.
It isn't Shump's skills that are the problem. It's his tenuous confidence.
In 2013-14, the pressures of early losses, trade rumors and cursed orange jerseys seemed to be too much for Shump's spirit. The scrappy swingman the Knicks relied on to steal the ball or sink a three when the chips were down was replaced by a twitchy greenhorn who coughed up the ball more than he stole it.
Rumors that New York was thinking of trading Shumpert started flying as early as November, per ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley. His performance suffered immediately and just got worse as the Feb. 20 trade deadline grew nearer.
In February, Shumpert's field-goal percentage was only 31.3, he had 1.6 turnovers per game and he didn't attempt a single free throw. He whiled away the minutes parked in the corner, idly waiting to put up threes and sinking less than one-third of them. (He attempted 100 more threes in 2013-14 than he did in 2012-13, but he only sunk 25 more.)
As the fates would have it, Shump got injured right before the deadline, tentative suitors backed out and he stayed in the orange and blue. When Shump returned after his injury, Mike Woodson moved him to the bench. The team finally started winning, and Shumpert's individual performance improved.
His minutes were almost the same, but when coming off the bench his field-goal percentage jumped to 41.8, his turnovers fell to 0.6 per game and he averaged 1.4 steals.
Whether it was coming off the bench, surviving the trade deadline or watching his team win that did it, Shump's confidence, focus and play recovered when some of the pressure came off him.
So what will happen to his state of mind when this season proves just as stressful as the last one? Mix together new teammates, new coaches, a new strategy and a couple games against the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, and you do not have a recipe for a nice, tranquil October.
Plus, although Shumpert has so far survived the many maneuvers of the offseason, Action Jackson might still trade him between now and February. If Shump feels that his time as a Knick could end at any moment, will he be able to handle it more gracefully than he did in 2013-14?
It's not only trades that could stress him out. There are more youngbloods on the roster gunning for his minutes.
Shumpert, 24, is only headed into his fourth season. He himself was the Knicks fans' favorite hungry upstart not long ago, but now the crowds are calling out for rookie Cleanthony Early and sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. Either Early or Hardaway could steal Shump's minutes at the 2 and 3 spots if he doesn't deliver.
It's unlikely that Early in his first season could perform as well as Shumpert, but that's not exactly the point. The point is, will the threat rattle Shump's confidence enough to make him a liability?
There is good news, though. In August, Shump told reporters he'd surrendered his social media accounts to his agents, with the specific purpose of staying away from trade rumors, per Ohm Youngmisuk and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Shump also hinted that shooting all those corner threes was never his idea, and he's happy to leave them behind.
"It's constant action going on," he said of the triangle offense. "So I think that I'll be able to capitalize on that and I'll be able to use my athleticism a lot more than standing in the corner. I know this year in the offense I will have a lot more opportunities to cut and get to the basket."
If Shump's inner child feels safe and secure, there are certainly other candidates for weakest link. Derek Fisher might turn out to be an ineffectual coach. James Dolan might find a way to circumvent Phil Jackson to do something dreadfully Dolanesque. J.R. Smith might find an exciting way to get himself suspended for 40 games. The team could contract some horrible disease that makes all the cartilage in their knees disintegrate.
Hopefully, a new head coach and a new social media policy will fortify Shumpert's self-esteem and give New York back its favorite ball-stealing hustler. For the sake of the Knicks defense, it better.
All stats are from NBA.com/stats. Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.
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