2011 NBA Draft Grades: Why the NY Knicks Will Regret Drafting Iman Shumpert
The New York Knicks were finally relevant again last year. Well, they were relevant for positive reasons. They signed A'mare Stoudemire to a big contract last summer, acquired Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups at the trade deadline and drafted Iman Shumpert with the 17th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Two out of three isn't bad.
Seriously, what were the Knicks thinking with this pick? I understand that they need some kind of a defensive stopper, and Shumpert is a strong defensive player, but there were better options available for them.
For example, Kenneth Faried, who was drafted by Denver at No. 22, seemed to be a perfect fit for the Knicks. He was the best rebounder in college basketball last year. He doesn't just get cheap rebounds either, he fights bigger and stronger defenders to grab the basketball.
Faried is a better rebounder and shot blocker than Shumpert. He has more offensive potential than Shumpert does.
Shumpert, meanwhile, has good instincts and can force a lot of steals, but he doesn't help with rebounds and offensively he is a disaster. He has no jump shot or range and as a point guard he turns the ball over too much. So for all those steals that he is getting you, he is giving the ball right back.
The one thing that worked against Faried is his position. He played power forward at Morehead State, but at 6'8", 225 pounds he is small for that position in the NBA. Plus, the Knicks already have Stoudemire playing power forward, and he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Fans in New York like to believe that this team is on the come and will be contending for championships very soon, but they still don't seem to get it.
Going back to the Carmelo Anthony trade, what has he ever done to make you think that he is going to win a championship? He scores a lot of points and looks good doing it, but he doesn't play defense and has never been a guy who makes you say "Wow, I would like to build my team around him!"
This draft, particularly the pick of Shumpert, gives me great pause in saying that the Knicks are back and ready to make a lot of noise in the Eastern Conference. I see them as a team that has some good name players, and they got lucky playing in the weaker conference. They are not a top five team in the East, let alone the NBA.
Shumpert could develop into a great offensive player. He could develop a great shot that allows him to shoot a high-percentage from the field. He could develop into a lot of things in this league, but those are all really, really big ifs.
Faried is not a franchise savior, but no one was saying that he would be. He would have given the Knicks a lot of rebounding in the paint, which is something that this team sorely needs. If you keep the other team from getting the ball back after a miss, you are giving them one less chance to score points against you. That may be the most obvious statement of all-time, but that doesn't make it any less true.
Shumpert was a reach for the Knicks at No. 17. He doesn't ever project to be a starter in the NBA, which limits his value as a defensive player. You can't play defense if you aren't on the court.
This team is far better off than they were in the dark days of Isiah Thomas, but they still have a long way to go before they are thought of as serious championship contenders.
