INDIANAPOLIS — Iman Shumpert had a companion during his All-Star break trip to Houston, where he did some promotional appearances.
The Knicks coaches and video staff gave him a DVD of his highlights from last season, when he made the All-Rookie first team. Shumpert hasn’t been the same player since his mid-January return from ACL surgery and the Knicks actually have listened to offers entering today’s trading deadline.
“Our video guys and coaches put together a little thing what I was doing last year,’’ Shumpert said yesterday before the Knicks 125-91 loss to the Pacers. “Put those positive vibes back in my head what I was doing before and what I was doing lately. I need to get back in the habit of always pushing myself to do more.’’
Shumpert has more watching to do. He had a lousy night in yesterday’s debacle, scoring just four points and was 1 of 7 — 0 for 4 from 3-point land — and his starting job could be in jeopardy. Amar’e Stoudemire started the second half for Shumpert. After the game, coach Mike Woodson stormed off when asked about a starting lineup change, saying “I’m not talking about changes.’’
Shumpert started the game as usual, was yanked after 6:13 and didn’t return until the final minutes of the half despite the Knicks getting ransacked.
The Knicks, however, have no plans on trading Shumpert today. They are just hoping he looks like the player on the video by April’s playoffs — even with his new retro “hightop.’’
“I think I was just a lot more aggressive,’’ Shumpert said beforehand after watching tape. “I got more rebounds, pushing the break myself. A lot of times I get a rebound, I sort of look around and see who’s around. Last year, it was just get the rebound and go. Just little things I hadn’t noticed.’’
Shumpert, besides an ACL tear, also tore the meniscus in his knee that day in Miami last April in Game 1 of the playoffs.
“I haven’t played in eight months,’’ Shumpert said. “So I got away from doing a lot of things. Getting the ball, making drives to dish off. And then just people trapping me. I didn’t panic as much as I did this year. I haven’t seen everything thrown at me. But what I’ve played, 13 games now. Taking a step away from it, being able to watch and coming back, I can fix some things I feel I wasn’t doing the right way.’’
Woodson said he isn’t sure Shumpert hasn’t been distracted.
“Trade rumors affect young guys, different guys than veterans,’’ Woodson said. “Veterans have been around it. I’ve seen it happen to young players. They go the other way until the trade deadline comes and goes and then they’re back to normal. I just like to think Iman is just trying to find himself based on his injury.’’
* Tyson Chandler had a good night, with 19 points and 11 rebounds — 11 of 11 from the free-throw line. … The Pacers scored a season-high 125 points. “We gave up 125 points to a team that isn’t known for scoring,’’ Chandler said. “We got to pick up defensively. I don’t care how much we want to score the ball. We’re fooling ourselves if we think we can get anywhere playing this kind of defense. ‘’