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Iman Shumpert doesn’t like losing, but that doesn’t mean he also abhors playing for the New York Knicks.
According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (h/t ProBasketballTalk), Shumpert isn’t thrilled with the way the offseason has gone down in New York, after the Knicks were ousted in the second round of the NBA playoffs by the Indiana Pacers:
Let’s assume that Metta will be a model citizen and is all grown up now. Those same coaches and executives believe that will be the case. But they were also near unanimous in that they feel Metta the basketball player is near his expiration date.
I guess the only question is if Metta expires before Shumpert, one of the few Knicks who has value. Dolan is reportedly upset that Shumpert wasn’t interested in working with the summer league team and wants to trade him. Shumpert, I’ve heard, isn’t too crazy about the moves the Knicks have made, which could further stunt his development.
Looking at what’s happened over the last couple months, it’s not exactly farfetched to believe that Shumpert isn’t thrilled with the goings in New York. That owner James Dolan may or may not want to trade him doesn’t make things any easier.
It was Shumpert who carried the bulk of the offensive burden in Game 6 against Indiana, nearly propelling the Knicks to victory alongside Carmelo Anthony. And during his exit interview, he was visibly upset that the Knicks came up short, and preached accountability.
Upset or not, that’s the kind of emotion you want in someone as young and promising as Shump. He’s dedicated to winning, and after watching the Knicks fall to the Pacers, it was refreshing to see someone on the team acknowledge that he wasn’t satisfied.
It was nice to see that someone was, dare I say, angry at what happened.
At the same time, Shumpert missed a good portion of the 2013-13 campaign while rehabbing an ACL injury. The Knicks themselves fought losing battles with injuries and age, and were never really at full strength. To then think that he would be upset about how the offseason has unfolded is puzzling.
What is it that he particularly doesn’t like? Re-signing J.R. Smith? Acquiring Andrea Bargnani? Bringing in Metta World Peace?
One could find any number of reasons why Shumpert would be fed up with the Knicks, yet the guard himself took to Twitter to prove just the contrary.
Can we please DEAD these dumb ass rumors! I love my team as well as the new additions. I wanna win! #thatisall -Iman Shumpert
— Iman Shumpert (@I_Am_Iman) July 21, 2013
Normally, there is some ground to these types of rumors. Whatever anger Isola picked up on, though, could have had to do with the fact that Dolan is still a tyrant. If that Summer League anecdote is a reflection of the truth, Shumpert has every right to be pissed. I doubt he’ll be demanding any trades in the near future, but to know your owner wants you gone, because of something as trivial as Summer League participation, can’t sit well.
Perhaps he is angry then—at Dolan. Or maybe he just wants to win, wants something more for these Knicks. And on a team where emotion failed to spill over after a disappointing finish, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
