Knicks guard Iman Shumpert knows you need to walk before you can run.
Shumpert, one of the NBA’s elite perimeter defenders, has not started walking, but still says his recovery from a torn ACL suffered during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals is “going good.”
“They say I’m right on target with everything, I’ll be walking next week,” Shumpert told The Post. “I’m being really optimistic about it, really happy about it, hopefully it picks up soon.”
Shumpert emerged as a key contributor to a Knicks team that made the postseason for a second consecutive year, and despite being expected to miss at least a month next season, Shumpert said he’s looking forward to getting back on the floor.
“I just want to get back on the court and get back to doing the things that I did this year,” Shumpert said. “I just want to clean up my decision making, help out on the boards a little bit more and help every part of my game.”
In his rookie season Shumpert was forced to play a cramped 66-game schedule after the lockout pushed the season’s start date to Christmas Day, but was hesitant to blame the heavy workload for his knee injury.
“I don’t [attribute my injury to the short season],” Shumpert said at an event at Lord and Taylor in midtown. “I think what’s going to happen is what’s going to happen. I just go out there and play hard every night. If you get hurt, it’s just part of the game.”
The Knicks have already committed to Mike Woodson, giving him a three-year deal, and Shumpert hopes he is not the only one who returns next season.
“I think [having Coach Woodson back] is going to be great,” Shumpert said. “We’ll have a whole training camp together. I would love to have the whole team back. I like that group of guys.”
The team will be getting a hungry Shumpert as well.
“With the injuries I experienced in my rookie year I would like to have it back and have a healthy year. I always feel like I can play better,” Shumpert said.