NETS Sign Veteran Swingman Iman Shumpert
For the first time in six months Iman Shumpert will be on an NBA basketball court, but now playing for the Brooklyn Nets. This is a timely signing for the Nets’ whose starting shooting guard, Caris Levert, is out with a thumb injury that could be serious.
Shumpert last played for the Houston Rockets last season, who got eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, 4-2. In that last game of the season at the Toyota Center Shumpert went scoreless, grabbed one rebound and one assist in 10 minutes of action.
Quite frankly, in the 20 games that Shumpert played for the Rockets after being traded to them right before the deadline he didn’t really fit into their scheme and had career lows in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, free throw percentage and minutes per game. In those 20 games he only had one start as well.
His stint with the Rockets was far from an accurate display of what Shumpert is still capable of on the court. Although starting out his career as an offensive juggernaut before tearing his ACL and Meniscus, he has built his reputation in the league to be a key swingman for whatever roster he’s on, providing pace and defense, most notably with the Cleveland Cavaliers when he won an NBA Championship with them in 2016.
He still can contribute to a contender. Compared to earlier in his career he does a much better job of taking care of his body, staying healthy and is still only 29 years old.
Shumpert will definitely be able to help the Nets, whose average team age is 26, and has a lot of youth on the roster. After all this year they are playing with “house money” so to speak, as Kevin Durant rehabs a torn Achilles this year.
The Nets have to have that “next man up” mentality this season as a few of their guys have either been banged up (DeAndre Jordan, Durant) or suspended (Wilson Chandler). To add to that, Levert’s thumb injury that caused him to leave in the second quarter of Brooklyn’s 138-112 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday is looking like it’s worse than the team originally thought.
Initially they thought it was a minor thumb sprain but there could be ligament damage.
With that being said, the time is now for Shumpert to show the league, but more importantly his team, what he’s still got in the tank. It goes without saying that starting this NBA season without a team was an eye-opening experience for the NBA champion, but according to him he never wavered. He even posted on Instagram about his latest contract.
“I worked my a** off in empty gyms all summer and thru the beginning of the season,” said Shumpert. “You see, character is who you are when no one is watching and while no one cares. ILoveThisGame. I appreciate this new opportunity…I told y’all I’m around. Let’s go to work @brooklynnets.”
