Iman Shumpert Should be Thankful for the Cavs
When the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Iman Shumpert from the New York Knicks many thought he would be ready to start right away coming off his injury. Much of that was related to how the Knicks were advancing him in his recovery from his shoulder injury. Fear the Sword did an interview with a Knicks writer who thought the same thing:
"2. To start with Iman Shumpert, he’s currently out with a shoulder injury. How serious is that injury and when can the Cavs expect him back?Less than an hour before he was traded, I was watching Iman run at close to full speed on the court in addition to shooting around from the three-point line. He looked great. Mike Crispino, the Knicks’ radio host, looked over at me and said, “Boy, seems like someone’s ready to come back pretty soon,” because of how good his shot looked. Of course none of those warmups involved him taking any contact, but I’d assume that he can play again within a week or so."
Yet here we are knowing that Shumpert will be out for another 2 weeks or so. So what changed?
We believe Iman Shumpert should be thankful to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not that he owes the team anything but that he should see and appreciate the decision they made to slow down his recovery process.
This is after just being thankful that he doesn’t have to play the season out for a lousy team who has no chance of making the playoffs. For most players that is something to be thankful for, though having to leave New York to play in Cleveland isn’t always high on a player’s priority list.
So why do we think Shump should be thankful for the Cavs? It is simple as understanding the priorities of both the player and the team:
Shumpert’s Priorities
Shumpert recently stated in an interview that he really wants to get back out on the floor and it is tough not playing. Competitors don’t like to sit out, don’t enjoy watching teammates battle without them and don’t want to be viewed as weak. Most players would risk their health to get back on the floor early. Shumpert’s hustle and heart on the floor shows he is this kind of player. This is especially true given that Shumpert is set to become a restricted free agent.
Yet the Cavs decided to protect him and not put him on the floor until he is ready. Unlike the Knicks, who the Cavs believe were pushing him too quickly, the Cavs want to make sure Shumpert heals properly even though it goes against their priorities.
Cavs’ Priorities
For the Cavs the priority this season is simple: Win. LeBron James and Kevin Love can opt out and leave at the end of the season. They acquired Shumpert, along with J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov, to be an important part of their team. He likely will start when he returns.
Yet even though the team was, and is, struggling, is missing James and needs as much time together as possible to learn to play together, the Cavs still chose to sit Shumpert. It is obvious in the last few games that they could use a player of his size, effort and talent, yet they continue to sit him.
Why Thankful?
So given both the players’ and the team’s priorities why should Iman Shumpert be thankful and why did the Cavs make the decision they did?
If the Knicks, and Shumpert, had it his way he would be out playing with a shoulder that could get re-injured at anytime. Even if that didn’t happen, with a dinged up shoulder, Shump’s game could be greatly impacted negatively. He could struggled handling the ball, fighting through screens or shooting the ball. Any of those would have dropped his value far more than sitting out a few more weeks. Playing for a team that wins also helps keep him, and Smith, playing with the right mindset which always helps in free agency.
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Yet the Cavs still chose to sit a player who could help immediately and would likely be willing to play given the progress in New York. The Cavs arent’ angels here, they need Shumpert for the stretch run and the playoffs and can’t risk getting him hurt again.
Yet instead of driving down his value in free agency and putting him at risk of further injury to help turn the tables this week, the Cavs did the right thing by the player and held him out. If he were still with the Knicks it is likely he would have been playing already.
With the Cavs Shumpert gets to play on a team that has enough talent to make a run toward the NBA Finals but also a team that cares enough about their new player to do what is best for him. That is the kind of organization that a player, and fans, can get behind.
Are you surprised by the Cavs decision on Iman Shumpert given the Knicks process for him?
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