Iman Shumpert Is in Perfect Position to Make Memorable Playoff Impression

With no J.R. Smith to begin their second-round series against the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers have turned to the man who was originally supposed to have his starting job.

Shooting guard Iman Shumpert is once again a starter, with the opportunity to prove his worth at a critical time.

Acquired in a Jan. 5 trade with the New York Knicks, Shumpert has played a limited yet efficient role with the Cavaliers thus far. In 38 regular-season games for Cleveland, 37 as a reserve, Shumpert averaged 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in his 24.2 minutes. He quickly became the team's best perimeter defender, displaying the quick hands and athleticism the Cavs desperately needed.

Shumpert's role was reduced from his time in New York, where he was a starter for the majority of three-and-a-half years. The Knicks needed his offense and defense to survive, while the Cavaliers have simply required his efforts on D.

This was both a blessing and a curse for Shumpert, who could focus on one area but faced a potential decrease in free-agent pay this summer. NBA teams offer far more money to quality two-way players instead of defensive specialists, after all.

Now without their third- (Kevin Love, shoulder surgery) and fourth-leading scorers (Smith, suspended one more game), the Cavaliers need Shumpert to once again increase his workload.

For the restricted free agent-to-be, now is his time to shine.

Regular-Season Role Player

Shumpert tends to get lost in the shuffle when discussing the Cavaliers' talented roster.

He doesn't score all that often, started just one game and prefers to exert his energy on defense. While this isn't the most exciting of resumes, it shouldn't diminish what Shumpert brings to the table.

The 6'5" wing can guard three different positions. Coach David Blatt can assign him to the opponent's best point guard, shooting guard or small forward, taking pressure off of LeBron James, who would have previously drawn the assignment. The end result is more energy on offense for James to score and create while not having to work nearly as hard on defense.

Shumpert was fantastic during the regular season, holding opponents to just 27.3 percent shooting from deep and 40.1 percent overall, well below their season averages.

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Before Shumpert made his Cavaliers debut on Jan. 23, Cleveland had a defensive rating of 106.0, 26th in the NBA. In 38 games with Shumpert, the Cavs defense jumped 14 spots to 12th overall (101.5).

Still, players like James, Kyrie Irving and Love continued to make headlines while Shumpert's impact wasn't given the credit he deserved. As James told Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Cleveland wasn't expecting Shumpert to do much more than defend.

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What we get from him as far as points is extra credit for our team. All we care about is his energy and effort defensively. What shows on the box score is his rebounding and steals. That shows he's very active and in tune of the game. What we get from him offensively -- we love it as well -- but it's not his focus. His focus is to come down and guard and wreak havoc defensively. When his opportunities come on offense, he'll be able to exploit them as well.

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As previously mentioned, this was a bittersweet situation for Shumpert. He went from a star on the lottery-bound Knicks to role player on the championship-hopeful Cavaliers.

Now after a strong start to the postseason, Shumpert is enjoying the best of both worlds.

Playoff Series Star

During their opening-round matchup with the Boston Celtics, Shumpert faced a variety of responsibilities.

Much like the regular season, he began as a reserve, bringing energy and defense off the bench. His main priority was to slow down Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, one of the best sixth men in the league.

Mark Duncan/Associated Press

While defense was still job No. 1, the Cavaliers needed Shumpert to step up in other areas after Love left Game 4 with a separated shoulder. With their leading rebounder sidelined, Shumpert responded. He finished Game 4 with 10 boards to go along with 15 points, three blocks and two steals. The Cavs won 101-93, sweeping the best-of-seven series.

As pesky as the Celtics were, the Bulls are on a completely different level.

They pack one of the league's best backcourts with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, while small forward Mike Dunleavy can be lethal from three. It's a pick-your-poison situation now for Shumpert, who's been thrust into the starting lineup and given a magnified role.

Guarding any one of Chicago's talented wing trio would be hard enough, but it's far from all the Cavaliers need of Shumpert.

With no Love or Smith, scoring is at a premium. James and Irving will certainly do their part, and Timofey Mozgov can chip in at times. But it's Shumpert who must now become a two-way player once again. As Blatt told McMenamin about his new starting shooting guard's offense:

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I want everybody to be fair to Iman. He can score and he can put points on the board and we need him to do so given the situation we're in right now. Now, is he going to be a guy that you're running multiple screens for so he can come off and shoot like a [Mike] Dunleavy? No. Or a J.R.? But he's a guy that can put the ball in the basket. He's a guy that can create some offense. Is he going to be our first option? Probably not. But I think you should give him a little bit more credit. He's a guy that has shown the ability to score the ball and we're going to ask him to do everything in this series. Everything in terms of being prepared to contribute in all aspects of the game is a better way to do it because we need him to do so and he's capable of doing so.

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Despite his coach saying expectations should be tempered, Shumpert came out firing in Game 1 against the Bulls.

He finished with 22 points, second on the Cavs next to Irving's 30. He connected on a cool 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from the field, the highest success rate of any Cavalier who attempted more than two total shots. His four three-pointers were more than every other Cleveland player combined.

As Irving told WKYC's Matthew Florjancic:

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I think Iman also has the ability to get into the paint, and it will be beneficial to our offense. Obviously, J.R. spaces the floor and knocks down the three. We call him our 9-1-1 guy. He gets us out of a lot of situations, but Iman is capable of putting up big numbers any given night, and we have the confidence instilled in him to go out there and be himself. 

"

Defensively, Shumpert still did a very admirable job, primarily assigned to Butler. After averaging nearly 25 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, Butler managed 20 on 7-of-16 shooting (43.8 percent) in 44 minutes.

Throughout the series, Shumpert's assignment will likely float between Butler and Rose, the 2010-11 league MVP. If Shumpert can effectively limit one or both while continuing to serve as a spark on offense, he and the Cavaliers will be major beneficiaries.

Summer Stock Rising

A restricted free agent this offseason, Shumpert can significantly help his negotiations with a strong second-round series.

The Cavaliers will assuredly extend his $3.9 million qualifying offer, something the Knicks were unlikely to do.

This is where things get interesting.

The market for defensive studs is solid. Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies makes $5 million per season. The Celtics' Avery Bradley averages $8 million on his current deal. If Shumpert would simply remain in the defensive reserve role he played all season, a contract averaging somewhere between this $5 million to $8 million annually would have been expected.

If Shumpert continues to start (at least one more game for sure) and take on more of a scoring role, these salary numbers could head north very quickly. With James playing more power forward, Shumpert will still see plenty of playing time at small forward even when Smith does return. 

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

It's worth noting that the Utah Jazz gave Alec Burks $42 million over four years last summer, and Burks isn't nearly the defender Shumpert is. Should Shumpert continue his strong overall play, it's not unreasonable to think he could cash in for $10 million to $12 million per season, either by an offer from the Cavaliers or another franchise the Cavs could then match.

Suddenly, those contract figures for defensive role players don't look so great anymore.

Of course, Shumpert's focus is solely on the Bulls right now and what Cleveland needs to do in order to even the series at a game apiece. While defense will always be Shumpert's calling card, his continued offensive presence will make a huge difference in the Cavaliers' success.

From reserve role player to key postseason starter, now's the time for Shumpert to break out.

Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA for Bleacher Report since 2010. All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.