Iman Shumpert Shows His True Value

On a team full of offensive weapons, Iman Shumpert has been able to display his true value to this Cavaliers team.

There was 12 seconds remaining and the Cleveland Cavaliers found themselves tied 95-95 with the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs had possession and forced a switch on a pick and roll. The switch had 6”5 Iman Shumpert guarding 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki at the free-throw line. Nowitzki let the clock run a little bit before beginning his move with 6.5 seconds left. Everyone knew what was coming. Nowitzki’s seemingly unstoppable one-legged fade-away was on its way. Instead this time, it was stopped. Just as Nowitzki was about to bring the ball up into the shooting motion, Shumpert got his quick hands in there and stripped the ball away, not allowing the future Hall of Famer to even get a shot up. The Cavaliers would go on to win the game 110-107 in overtime.

This play provided an example of Shumpert’s true value to this Cleveland team.

The Cavs don’t need any more scorers. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith take care of that department. The Cavs are 4^th in the league in offensive efficiency, so the offense isn’t a problem. They don’t need their bench players to provide an offensive punch; they need them to do the dirty work, such as playing defense and providing a spark of energy. These two elements are pillars of Shumpert’s game and it allows him to fit like a glove with the Cavaliers.

While much attention will be placed on Shumpert’s clutch strip on Nowitzki, the reality is that he provides the Cavs with that high defensive IQ and quick hands on a game-to-game basis. When Cleveland needed a tougher defensive mindset and identity as a team last season, GM David Griffin targeted Shumpert, as his defensive game is well known and respected around the league and his Cavalier teammates are quick to reiterate that point whenever they have the chance.

“It’s not surprising,” explained LeBron, when asked about Shumpert’s key strip on Nowitzki, per cavs.com. “We know Shump’s got the best hands in the business, we keep saying that. He got two big strips late in the game, one in regulation and one in overtime (on Deron Williams) when we needed a stop and that’s why he is on the floor.”

“His great. His basically one of those guys who can guard one through five.” Love said, talking about Shumpert’s defensive ability, via cavs.com. “We value him. His awesome, his really great for us. He had a play at the end of the game where he swiped the ball for us. He changes the game, he brings a different dynamic to it. We’re very happy his back healthy and playing well.”

Even head coach David Blatt spoke volumes of Shumpert’s dog-like mentality on the defensive end.

The dynamic that Love spoke of is one of the reasons why Shumpert is so valuable to this team. When he enters the game, Shumpert has one thing on his mind and that is the defensive end of the floor. He doesn’t worry about scoring or anything like that, he is more concerned about stopping the opposing teams best player and it is that mindset that allows him to show his true value to the Cavaliers.

Shumpert brings a defensive mindset and intensity to the court and the numbers back that up. Shumpert does have some of the best hands in the league along with Kawhi Leonard but the stats show Shumpert only averages 0.9 steals per game. This number is deceiving though, as the NBA doesn’t include deflections and tipped passes into their stats category and this is an area where Shumpert thrives. His innate ability to read the play before it happens is similar to LeBron, as he is able to pounce on a ball and steal or tip it before the offense knows what’s happening.

When Shumpert is on the floor, he makes the Cavaliers a much better defensive unit. Cleveland only allows 92.5 points per 100 possessions when Shumpert is on the floor, a number that would rank them 1^st in the entire league. When Shumpert is off the floor though, that number spikes up to 101.1, which would be the 11^th best mark in the NBA.

While Shumpert is a defensive wiz, that defense actually helps the Cavs offense in a big way. When Shumpert is on the court and creating steals and turnovers, it allows the Cavaliers to get out in transition and run, which makes them a much more dangerous team on the offensive end. With the likes of LeBron and Kyrie driving to the hole, with shooters such as Love and Smith running to the three-point line, it makes Cleveland simply un-guardable.

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To Shumpert’s credit, he is slowly developing a solid offensive game, even if he tries to do too much at times. His shot selection can still be questionable but he is shooting the ball at a 40.4% clip this season and is shooting a very solid 38.1% from three-point land. While the Cavs don’t need any offense from Shumpert, if he is able to provide 10-12 points per game off the bench, it simply adds another element to his game and to the Cavaliers.

“My guys, they trust me on one-on-one coverage with anybody in the league,” Shumpert said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I’ve got to do my homework, I’ve got to know guys’ moves, I’ve got to know guys’ tendencies. Sometimes it’s a guess, sometimes it’s a read. I take my chances on that.”

Shumpert’s words echo his true and un-measureable value to this Cavaliers ball club. Cleveland has all the scoring power in the world but Shumpert’s edge and toughness on the defensive end allows the Cavs to be a much better defensive team and you better believe Shumpert will be a key piece in the Cavs championship puzzle.