It seems difficult to assess Iman Shumpert’s first six games with any sort of perspective. In the last twelve hours alone, I’ve seen him described – by talented NBA voices – as both “a bigger Russell Westbrook” and “a pimple on Westbrook’s backside.”
The truth, I suspect, lies somewhere in between.
Here’s what I hope is a measured attempt to assess Shumpert’s prospects – six games and three starts into his NBA career.
What we know:
- The guy is an off-the-charts athlete. In May, DraftExpress called him the most physically gifted player in the 2011 draft class, and thus far he has lived up to that billing.
- He’s got the wingspan of a pterodactyl (6-9.5) – nice to have when contesting shots
- He wasn’t much of a shooter in college (.305 3pt at Georgia Tech)
What we’ve observed:
- The Knicks seem to play with more energy when he’s on the floor. And the Knicks’ best overall lineup – at least as far as +/- is concerned – is the current starting five, with Shumpert, Landry Fields, Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.
- He’s averaging 2.2 steals per game – which would be good for third in the league if he had played enough minutes to qualify.
- He seems to have very good chemistry with the Knicks’ big men, and Stoudemire in particular. That shouldn’t come as a big surprise, as he and STAT share an agent and reportedly spent some time working out together during the lockout.
- He’s the only Knick guard quick enough to split defenders with his dribble, which has led to a number of very easy baskets for the big guys.
- His assist/turnover numbers on the season don’t look great… but four of those TOs game in last night’s game and a very tough defensive matchup with Philly’s Jrue Holiday. Against Washington he had 7 dimes and just two turnovers.
- He still isn’t shooting well from three, with a .261 mark on the season. But he was at .352 before last night’s 0-6.
We’ve also observed:
- Toney Douglas struggling so badly when asked to run the team that his confidence may be shot.
- Landry Fields showing signs of life on the defensive end, but still unable to hit a jumper or develop much chemistry on the drive-and-dish with Stoudemire and company.
- Mike Bibby starting off horribly, playing effectively in a backup role, and then getting hurt, and…
- Jeremy Lin limited to garbage time.
Conclusions We Can Draw:
To this point, Shumpert has been the best guard on the Knick roster. And he hasn’t had much competition for that title. The things he brings to the table – speed, athleticism, perimeter defense, energy – are major areas of need for the Knicks.
Just as importantly – the things he does well are obvious, even to the most casual of fans. People watching on television or sitting in the stands at MSG can see his energy. When he makes a rookie mistake and gets caught out of position on defense or takes an ill-advised shot… well, that’s not as easy to spot. And that contributes to the ZOMG! THIS GUY’S A HALL-OF-FAMER reaction that some national NBA bloggers have come to love.
That doesn’t change the fact that, as a rookie with no training camp or preseason experience, he has stepped up and filled an obvious void on a team that has playoff aspirations.
What Sort of Player Will Shumpert Become?
I can see the parallels to Westbrook in Shumpert’s game… but I feel like that’s much too aggressive a target, especially after just six games. That’s not a knock on Shump, it’s a sign of respect to Westbrook, who is really, really good. I’ll aim lower.
When he was first drafted, my hope was that Shumpert could become a Tony Allen-type player. A key “glue guy” who knows his place on the offense and can hit a crucial shot and – most importantly – who can take the opposition’s best wing scorer and drive him absolutely nuts with his defense. Every contender needs one of those guys.
So far, I think I’m on target.
