Iman Shumpert | Knicks Vision

Post Game: Bobcats 118, Knicks 110

Michael Scotto January 4, 2012 | 10:27pm

The theme of tonight’s game was defense and the lack of it. The Bobcats had six players in double figures led by Boris Diaw’s 27 points on 12-15 shooting. Gerald Henderson also torched the Knicks for 24 points on 10-13 shooting. Charlotte put on a clinic from the field shooting 55 percent overall and 64 percent from downtown.

The return of forward Amar’e Stoudemire and guard Iman Shumpert wasn’t enough but both put up big numbers. Stoudemire had 25 points and 12 rebounds while the rookie Shumpert provided a spark off the bench scoring 18 points, grabbing five rebounds, dishing three assists, and playing harassing defense with two steals. Carmelo Anthony dazzled the Madison Square Garden crowd with 32 points as well.

Despite the gaudy numbers put up on offense the Knicks struggled on defense. The additions of assistant coach Mike Woodson and center Tyson Chandler haven’t yielded results up to expectations. Fans booed the team’s lack of defensive effort on the court. To make things worse, Chandler appeared visibly frustrated with his teammates lack of rotation as the Bobcats scored numerous uncontested baskets in the paint.

The final blow came when Shumpert limped off the court towards the end of the game after re-injuring his knee. Shumpert immediately went back to the locker room. Mike D’Antoni said the injury would be okay.

The Knicks have one day to address their defense before hitting the road to face the Washington Wizards. The Wizards come into the game winless with six losses to start the year. The Knicks enter the game with a 2-4 record.

Follow me on Twitter: @MikeAScotto

Amar'e Stoudemire, Bobcats, Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert, Knicks, Michael Scotto, Mike D'Antoni, Mike Scotto, New York Knicks

Happy Birthday, Iman Shumpert!

Dan Miranda June 26, 2011 | 9:12am

Today, ironically, marks the one year anniversary of the creation of Knicks Vision, and apparently, it also represents the birthday of Knicks first round selection Iman Shumpert. We’ve already dove into what makes Iman who he is, as well as figured out why he wasn’t in the Green Room on Draft night.

So we would like to take this time away to congratulate Iman on his birthday. Hopefully, many more to come.

And P.S., the photo to the right is a picture Iman tweeted when he came upon the sight that is his new office. His caption was, “Def just had a moment”. It’s funny, because I just had a moment as well, the first of many.

(Photo courtesy of Iman Shumpert Twitter)

Iman Shumpert

Video: Where Was Iman Shumpert On Draft Night?

Dan Miranda June 25, 2011 | 2:47pm

I’m not sure if Iman Shumpert was cordially invited to the Green Room for the NBA Draft, but it looks like he decided to spend the night with his crew instead. That’s cool, I respect that.

Iman Shumpert

Who Is Iman Shumpert?

Dan Miranda June 25, 2011 | 8:15am

Twenty-four hours ago, I had not watched one minute of Iman Shumpert basketball. That was probably irresponsible on my part, because he had been the Knicks’ selection in mock drafts by the experts all across the board.

That’s in the past now though, and I’ll remind all of you that the college game is painstakingly difficult to watch. Just think of Butler and UConn going blow for blow for 40 minutes. Painful basketball. In any event, the most important thing to take away from last night is that Iman Shumpert is a New York Knickerbocker.

In fact, my actual reaction was not, “Who is this Iman Shumpert?” rather, “Let’s see what we got here.” Yesterday, I spent the day researching who the Knicks had actually chosen. And I was surprised. Happily surprised.

In the past hours since the selection, I’ve made what strides I could in figuring out who the heck he really is. What his tendencies are, what he excels at. That type of stuff. I’m no scout, and I’ve certainly watched less of him than the Knicks brass who selected him. So please, correct me where I am wrong and take what I write with a grain of salt.

However, with all of that being said, here are my findings on what is the Knicks’ seventeenth selection in the 2011 NBA Draft:

Iman Shumpert is excellent on defense. Let’s get that out of the way first because that’s the reason the Knicks chose him in the first place. Unfortunately for this Georgia Tech product, he’s going to be given the tough challenge of guarding the most versatile, quickest, and all-around offensive player from the opposing team. That means going up against the likes of Dwayne Wade, Rajon Rondo, or Derrick Rose every single night.
Iman Shumpert struggles on the offensive end. This is important because it gives Knicks fans some insight toward the brain of Mike D’Antoni. Alan Hahn reported last night that the head coach was actually the one to sign off on the player of choice. While MD’A is known for his offensive tendencies, he has been somewhat in-tune to his defensive senses.
Iman Shumpert is tall, but short enough to stick to multiple positions. It goes hand in hand with the first bullet point but it still needs to be harped upon. Shumpert is 6’6” in sneakers and describes himself as a “gym rat”. I’m just praying he maintains that mantra throughout his NBA career.
Iman Shumpert shot 40.6% last season. This fact seems to to be a topic of concern among Knicks fans however I think I have a decent explanation: Georgia Tech was a poor team last year and their scorers were nonexistent. They needed to rely on decent enough players to handle the rock and Shumpert was just that, decent enough to get by. So they put the ball in his hands too much and he likely took too many shots for his own good. That’s alright for the Knicks, particularly with Stoudemire and Anthony running the show and taking up the majority of the shots, the team will only need Shumpert to fill his role.
Iman Shumpert has Russell Westbrook potential. Okay, this may be somewhat of an overstatement, but the truth is, the only thing missing from him really developing into a real talented player is an effective shot and a few offensive tools.