NBA

Shumpert on mend for Knicks

The Knicks got positive progression reports on their injured reserves, rookie guard Iman Shumpert and Jared Jeffries.

Shumpert said there is a chance he can return from his left-knee sprain by this weekend, perhaps Saturday in Detroit. Jeffries, who has a sprained left calf, could return in the next few days.

The Knicks readjusted Shumpert’s brace, giving him more range of motion when tests showed he was “ahead of schedule.”

He took shooting practice Saturday night for the first time and was to be re-evaluated when they got back to New York.

“I’m very optimistic,” said Shumpert, who sprained his knee in the second half vs. Boston after having a terrific training camp.

The Knick’ public relations staff said he’d be out two to four weeks, but the Georgia Tech product said his real timetable was 2-3 weeks.

****If new Raptors coach Dwane Casey doesn’T pan out, Mike D’Antoni figures to be a strong candidate to wind up in Toronto one day if not renewed by the Knicks.

The Raptors, who face the Knicks tonight, are run by D’Antoni’s close friend, Bryan Colangelo. This summer, D’Antoni’s son will be off to college and he’ll have more flexibility in terms of moving.

***When the Knicks shopped for a stopgap point guard last week, one player of interest was veteran Anthony Carter, who finished last season with the Knicks. But he had been signed late in training camp by Toronto.