Iman Shumpert Cleared for Takeoff with Phil Jackson's Knicks
This is it for Iman Shumpert. The big contract year. The one that could determine his value next summer when he's slated for restricted free agency.
That's when the Knicks must choose whether or not to commit and match any offer he receives from other teams.
Not that motivation was ever an issue with Shumpert, but man—if he's ever going to make that jump, this is the year to make it.
To no surprise, the Knicks actually need Shumpert just as badly as Shumpert needs a good season individually. From a personnel standpoint, the Knicks did nothing this offseason to improve the team's defense, and Shump remains the top perimeter defender on the roster.
The opening starting spot alongside Jose Calderon in the backcourt was essentially meant for Shumpert to win, given the lineup's lack of two-way players and constant energy.
And maybe now with better direction from the Zen Master, Phil Jackson, and a system that allows him to play a bit more to his strengths, Shumpert will be able to fulfill some of that promise he created as a rookie.
Jackson put on his scouting goggles to discuss Shumpert's fit and development, via ESPN's Charley Rosen:
"Even though Iman Shumpert was in [former Knicks coach] Mike Woodson's dog house for much of last season, he's one of my favorites because he's simply our best on-ball defender at the 2 position and also against the bigger 1s. Once he learns the intricacies of the offense, Iman will be able to create scoring opportunities for his teammates and, unlike last season, he'll know where his own shots will come from. Iman is an excellent driver but his shooting mechanics are very inconsistent. Sometimes he jumps too high to release his shot and sometimes he doesn't jump high enough. As a result, he never shoots the same shot twice.
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The key takeaway from Jackson's report is his belief that Shumpert will now know where his shots will come from.
He didn't last year under Mike Woodson, whose offense emphasized isolation and improvisation—not exactly Shumpert's bread and butter.
The Wall Street Journal's Chris Herring noted how more than "30% of his turnovers last year were the result of him having lost control of the ball, the second-highest rate in the NBA among starting shooting guards, according to Basketball-Reference.com."
If Jackson's triangle works the way it should, the system will create Shumpert's scoring opportunities—not his own dribble.
While many young players need coaches or executives to remove their metaphorical straitjackets, Shumpert actually needed someone to put one on him.
There's a lot more structure within this offense, something that should benefit Shump, given his inefficiency over the past two seasons. Shumpert's field-goal percentage dropped to an ugly 37.8 percent last year, while his scoring averaged dipped to just 6.7 points a game.
Realistically, the Knicks don't need Shumpert to go out there and drop 20 every night. They're just looking for some consistency—someone they can rely on to knock down open shots and capitalize opportunistically on the plays that come his way within the offense.
Because new coach Derek Fisher will have to roll with Shumpert whether he's making shots or not. His defense simply holds too much value in a rotation with guards and wings like Calderon, J.R. Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Shane Larkin.
Herring noted the ridiculous difference in the team's defensive rating when Shumpert was on the floor last year versus when he was off it:
"New York played good defense, allowing just 101.8 points per 100 plays, with Shumpert on the court last year, per NBA.com. The Knicks were a dumpster fire without him, though, giving up 111.1 points per 100 possessions without him. To put into context how disparate that gap is, consider the fact that, on a team level, a 9.3-point difference would be equivalent to the difference between Chicago Bulls’ defense and the Philadelphia 76ers’ defense last season.
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Bottom line: Shumpert has to play regular minutes to help balance out the team's defensive limitations. Only 6.7 points on 38.7 percent just isn't enough in that time on the other side of the ball.
He's capable of doing better. We've seen him do better.
And a new coach and system sure can't hurt his chances.
“I’m receptive to all their information because they’re the ones who are teaching us this new offense," Shumpert told Fred Kerber of the New York Post. "I can’t really depend on everybody else. …Can’t let anything bad get inside. Keep feeding yourself with positivity.”
The stars have really aligned for Shumpert, despite having regressed since his rookie season. He now has a coaching staff that seems to value him slightly extra, along with a better passing point guard and a more defined role on the team.
It's officially liftoff time for Shumpert, who's been seemingly running in place since tearing his ACL back in 2012.
From a glass-half-full perspective, he's already had a couple of strong outings during preseason, including most recently against the Washington Wizards when he scored eight points in 14 minutes.
Now entering the 2014-15 season with a clean slate, here's to hoping that Shumpert relocates some of his lost offensive game and confidence. It could go a long way for a team that's still counting on J.R. Smith as its No. 2 option.
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