After finally completing the long, arduous road back from a left knee injury, Iman Shumpert laid down on the court after Knicks practice and reflected on his comeback. It’s been a long wait for the young guard, who is slated to make his season debut in Thursday’s game in London.
“At the end of the day, I laid on the side court a little bit just taking it all in,” said Shumpert, who hasn’t played since tearing his ACL and meniscus last April 28 in a first-round playoff loss to Miami. “Coming up in London, my first chance of playing ball again. It’s been a long time, so I was really happy and really in awe that I made it through.
“Obviously, I’m extremely excited. I’ll probably get chills, be a little anxious out there. But I hope to have it settled down and be ready to play.’’
One can hardly blame Shumpert for being excited — or the Knicks, for that matter. Nowhere have the Knicks’ defensive frailties been more underscored — and more mercilessly attacked — than on the perimeter.
“If he doesn’t have any setbacks, he’ll play Thursday, absolutely,’’ coach Mike Woodson said. “He’s going to help us a lot. He proved that last season for us as a rookie. He brings a lot of energy, and his toughness from a defensive standpoint, man, you just can’t measure that. Sometimes it becomes contagious amongst his peers.
“So we just got to take it slow with him. He’ll be on minute restrictions once he’s back and just kind of go from there. We just can’t rush into his situation. We’ve got to be open-minded to [the fact] he’s coming off major surgery.’’
Though Woodson said the Knicks must tighten up their defense in all respects, only six teams have allowed more 3-pointers (7.9 per game) or 3-point attempts (21.9). But at 6-foot-5 — not counting his Kid ’n Play high-top fade — the athletic, long-armed Shumpert is tailor-made for just that. Shumpert can defend either guard spot, or even a small forward, and do it in smothering fashion.
“Yeah, I feel like I could help,’’ he said. “I’m pretty good at broken plays, making something out of nothing, and I can apply pressure to guards, both offensively and defensively. So that’s what I’m looking to add.’’
As for whether Woodson opts to start him or bring him off the bench, Shumpert insisted he’s just happy to be healthy and playing.
“I don’t really care,” Shumpert said. “I feel like we’ve got a team that could win a championship — that’s all I ever wanted. I don’t really care if I start or not. Woody brings J.R. [Smith] off the bench every game, and he’s an All-Star. I don’t really care how [much] I play, just as long as we win.’’
brian.lewis@nypost.com