Going into Game 2 of the Knicks’ first-round playoff series last year, Iman Shumpert was finished for the year with a torn ACL.
Now, going into Game 2 of the Knicks’ first-round playoff series, Shumpert likely will be assigned to guard the Celtics’ most dangerous scorer.
With Pablo Prigioni probable for tonight’s Game 2, Shumpert will shift from two-guard to small forward, and Knicks coach Mike Woodson said the swingman would defend Celtics forward Jeff Green. In April, Green averaged a team-best 17.1 points, and in Game 1, he scored a team-high 26.
“Whatever they need me to do,” Shumpert said.
In the first half of Game 1, Chris Copeland and J.R. Smith each were on Green at times, and Green shot 7-for-10 en route to 20 points. In the second half, Carmelo Anthony was mainly assigned to Green, and Green went 1-of-5 for six points. The Knicks would prefer not to have Anthony guard Green to avoid foul trouble.
Shumpert logged 21 minutes in Game 1 in a mixed-bag effort with five rebounds, three assists, four fouls and four turnovers. No matter, it was better than last year’s Game 1 in Miami, where Shumpert suffered his devastating knee injury in the third quarter and never played at the Garden in the postseason.
“This is where you want to be,” he said yesterday. “I had a lot of fun that game. Felt even better to walk off the court.”
The 6-foot-5 Shumpert praised the 6-foot-9 Green’s “length and athleticism,” noting how Green’s shooting range expanded later in the season.
Shumpert also improved in the latter stages of the season. After missing the first 37 games as he worked his way back following knee surgery, he returned Jan. 17. Shumpert struggled badly in the early stages of his return, averaging 5.1 points in his first 24 games and shooting a woeful 31 percent.
In his final 21 games, though, Shumpert upped his average to 8.7 points, shooting a strong 48 percent. He simply looked far better — and said he felt that way, too.
“I feel a lot better. Definitely not thinking as much, just going out there playing, everything’s way more fluid,” he said. “And plus, I think I’m starting to figure out just the role of this year. Knocking down open shots, when to be aggressive, when I need to make drives, how to play off of Melo, how to play off of J.R.
“And just knowing our rotations, our minutes, the minutes that I’m going to play, when I’m going to be out there, how long I’m going to be out there and what type of energy I can exert.
“I think I’m just getting more and more comfortable into the role.”