Fans have loved Iman Shumpert since he first stepped foot on the Garden floor in a Knicks uniform. He was a rookie with promise then, someone who got it. He played hard. He played defense. He cared.
It means something that when the Knicks’ starting lineup is introduced before a game, it’s Shumpert who slides into the middle of the huddle, scribbles something on the floor and serves as the chief motivator. I’ve been around enough teams to know that’s a high honor. It means he has his teammates’ respect.
But now we need to see something more from Shumpert, something that reinforces all those warm and fuzzy feelings fans had about him. He needs to make them not want to say good-bye.
If reports are correct, the Knicks are offering him as trade bait, an early move — if not desperate attempt — to improve on a disappointing 3-5 record heading into Saturday night’s game against the Hawks at the Garden, where the Knicks were 1-3.
You can’t blame general manager Steve Mills for trying to find something to jumpstart this team, though moving Shumpert is a bit premature considering he likely won’t bring much in return.
Still, it says something the Knicks are dangling his name. In just his third season, Shumpert would have been off-limits two years ago.
Common sense suggests it’s too soon in his career to know his ceiling. He could be Scottie Pippen or Metta World Peace. Problem is the Knicks need to find out, and quick.
Let’s not forget, Shumpert should be applauded for coming back from a terrible ACL injury suffered in a postseason game in his rookie year. Though Bulls point guard Derrick Rose took the year off to recover from a similar surgery, Shumpert was back in January, helping the Knicks earn an Atlantic Division title. But now we need to see more from Shumpert. It could determine whether he’s here for two more weeks or 10 years.
Already he was gone from untradeable to “What are you offering?” — which means Mills and the Knicks have envisioned life without him. Apparently, Shumpert hasn’t taken rumors of his availability too well. He barked at coach Mike Woodson during the Knicks’ 109-106 loss to the Rockets on Thursday night and has acted strange enough for Carmelo Anthony to have a big brother talk to ease frustrations.
“I have to tell him, just to focus on basketball,” Anthony told reporters. “Everything else will take care of itself.”
If Shumpert is the real pro we’ve all thought he could be, he won’t let any type of trade talk affect his play on the court. That’s what pros do. Otherwise, he becomes a player who is susceptible to the kind of outside influences that can derail a career. Those players don’t have long careers.
Truth is, it’s a good thing if teams covet your services. And while being a Knick is all Shumpert knows, there have been plenty of players who began their career in New York but went on to thrive for other franchises. We can go back to Mark Jackson, and mention David Lee, Channing Frye, Nate Robinson and Jeremy Lin.
As Herb Williams recently told one of the Knicks while doing drills: “It’s good to be in the NBA.” Anywhere in the NBA.
What Shumpert needs to show the Knicks and anyone else interested in his services is that he has matured as a pro. That means not being affected by headlines and trade rumors. The Knicks need him to be the best perimeter defender he can be as well as make a few key baskets along the way.
They don’t need him arguing with the coach or worrying about whether he’s going to be traded. Mature pros know how to deal with that. It’s time we find out if Iman Shumpert was worth all the hype in the first place.