Coach Mike Woodson acknowledged Iman Shumpert’s effort sets him apart from Knicks youngsters like Toure’ Murry, Tim Hardaway Jr., Cole Aldrich and C.J. Leslie. But Woodson didn’t name Shumpert a starter for Thursday’s preseason game, and he said there is plenty left for the third-year wing to work on.
“Iman plays hard. That’s the thing that’s kept him on the floor. He’s just got to figure out — [what] we’ve got to help him figure out — is his game that coincides with what we want to do,’’ Woodson said. “He’s got to be able to play pick-and-roll offense. He’s got to be able to run the team with the ball in his hands because our ones, twos and threes handle the basketball.
“There are a number of things. Defensively he’s got to start being more solid and not so overaggressive that he gets beat. So there are some things he’s got to clean up, too. He’s still a young player, there’s nothing wrong with that. We’ve got to help him get there quickly. That’s the name of the game.’’
For Shumpert, the name of the game is to keep improving. Woodson is intent on having an open competition at shooting guard, and he’s tough on Shumpert at every turn. One of the Knicks’ more physically gifted players, Shumpert takes it as a compliment.
“Every level I’ve gotten yelled at,’’ Shumpert said. “But I think it’s just because I can do a lot of different things and they expect a lot out of me. I’d rather somebody expect a lot out of me than nothing at all.’’
His primary competition for the shooting guard starting spot is J.R. Smith, who is rehabbing and still hasn’t returned to practice. Woodson said last Wednesday he planned to let Shumpert and Smith fight it out despite the latter’s injury and the five-game suspension that awaits him.
Woodson has appeared to be rubbed the wrong way by Shumpert’s swagger, and he’s more than willing to bench him. But for Shumpert’s part, he said starter or reserve, he’s happy as long as he’s playing — and winning.
“I just want to win. That’s it,’’ said Shumpert, whose Kid ‘N Play flattop was conspicuously missing after he had his hair cut down closely, circa his rookie season. “I’m not the coach. That’s his headache. He got all these players. I don’t got to do nothing but go out there and play. That’s the best part of my job.’’
Woodson surprisingly chose not to start Shumpert in the first preseason game, and even though Shumpert made all seven of his shots in that opener, he found himself back on the bench for the team’s second game, in Toronto. Woodson cited his missed time in training camp with a sore right shoulder as the reason.
By the time Woodson finally started him Saturday against Boston, it was with the “B” team, and Shumpert scored just six points on 2-of-9 shooting.
“Everybody’s got to learn. You’ve got to be a sponge in this league. That’s the only way to stay in it,’’ Shumpert said. Asked what he can improve on, from pick-and-roll offense to running the team, he replied, “Every part of my game.’’
Shumpert does have an admirer in Metta World Peace, who said he’d never played alongside a player who defended the way he himself did — until Shumpert.
“We get along great. We have wars in practice. We probably foul each other the hardest out of anybody on the team,’’ Shumpert said. “But that’s how you get better. You compete, you go through contact, you push each other.
“We do everything hard. He’s a great teacher, a guy that’s been in the league for so long. Metta’s got a lot to say and he teaches me a lot because he says he can see a lot of himself in me.’’