Iman Shumpert could return from injury by December

The Knicks' Iman Shumpert could return from an ACL injury as early as December. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Iman Shumpert is progressing in his rehabilitation from offseason ACL surgery and could return to the New York Knicks lineup by December, The New York Times reported Sunday. Shumpert tore his ACL in the first round of last season's playoffs against the Miami Heat.

From the Times' report:

All signs Saturday suggested that Shumpert's rehabilitation this off-season has gone well. He will still miss the start of the regular season, but it appears Shumpert could possibly return in December if his recovery is ahead of schedule.

Last week, Shumpert said he hoped to play in December, but that he doesn't want to come back too early from his injury.

The second-year guard Shumpert scored 9.5 points and grabbed 3.2 rebounds per game last season. More importantly, he's already a defensive stalwart for the Knicks.