Iman Shumpert unsung hero for Cavs in Game 4 win

The Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Atlanta Hawks with a 100-99 win on Sunday afternoon and Iman Shumpert was an unsung hero for the Cavs.

All the attention, and deservedly so, will be on everything but Shumpert.

From the Cavaliers barrage of three-pointers (they did hit 77 of them in four games, which is a number that defies logic), the success of the Big 3 (who have never looked better) and the 8-0 start to the playoffs by coach Tyronn Lue (whose looked as cool as a cucumber on the post-season stage), Shumpert isn’t the first name to pop off the stat sheet.

Looking at Shumpert’s averages throughout the playoffs so far don’t scream ‘hero’. Averaging just 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game definitely isn’t anything to write home about.

However, Shumpert’s expectations can’t be measured against the likes of his teammates. The Cavaliers obviously have an establishment of stars and role players to score, such as LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith. Shumpert doesn’t need to score a bunch of points for the Cavs, and truthfully, they don’t expect him. Even James has stated multiple of times that any scoring the Cavs get from Shumpert is a bonus.

That bonus turned into a necessity in Game 4, particular in the second quarter.

As expected, Atlanta came out with a purpose in Game 4. With their season on the line, the Hawks played inspired basketball, which ended up giving them a 36-27 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Cavs seemed lethargic. Motivation was seemingly a factor, as one team was playing for their season, while the other had the security of a 3-0 series lead.

After Dennis Schroder hit a lay-up to extend the Hawks lead to 40-28 just a couple minutes into the second quarter, Cleveland needed to respond. They did just that, in the form of Shumpert, who hit a huge three-pointer to bring the Cavs deficit down to 40-31.

Shumpert’s shot-fuelled a 22-12 Cavs run, which was capped, appropriately, by another triple from him at a key moment. With the Cavaliers well in the midst of their second-quarter comeback, a period where they outscored the Hawks 29-22, Shumpert’s three-ball with 3:28 remaining in the first half brought the Cavs back to within 52-50.

While Shumpert was giving the Cavs an unexpected, but welcomed, offensive jolt, he was still playing that boisterous defensive he is known for.

“Shumpert was great,” Lue said after Game 4, via cavs.com. “I thought his defensive intensity in the first half really gave us a spark and got us back in the game. His play really turned things around for us when he got in the game and then he make two big threes in that first half to really uplift us offensively.”

As aforementioned, the Cavaliers have been shooting the three-ball at a historic rate this post-season and Shumpert, like most of his teammates, has seen an upswing in his three-point shooting since the playoffs began.

Connecting on just 29.5 percent of his triple attempts in the regular season, Shumpert has upped that percentage to an elite 46.2 in the playoffs. Furthermore, and of more importance, Shumpert isn’t taking any bad shots.

Shumpert is the furthest thing from a player who can create his own offense. That makes it all the more encouraging to see that all of Shumpert’s three-point attempts this post-season have been on catch and shoot shots. Additionally, 33.3 percent of Shumpert’s threes have been ‘wide open’ (when the closest defender is 6 feet or further away), which reflects how he is getting good looks as a result of Cleveland’s improved ball movement.

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Shumpert isn’t going to give the Cavs a lot of offense, but of the small samples he provides, they must be high percentage shots, which they have been.

“In the playoffs, different schemes calls for the ball to move into certain guys hands,” Shumpert said after Game 4, via cavs.com. “I’m always ready.”

Shumpert has been a part of a rejuvenated Cavalier bench, one that has shown more production both on the floor and more cheering on the sidelines during the playoffs.

“I think you can tell by our bench reaction,” Shumpert said about the satisfaction he gets out of watching his teammates succeed, via cavs.com. “When certain guys find their groove or certain guys reap the benefits of their hard work, we all go crazy for them.”

The Cavs bench has seen different contributors each game, such as Channing Frye’s 27-point effort in Game 3, but Shumpert believes it’s a combined effort from the reserves.

“I think our bench, no matter who we are in the game with, our bench is looking to make a push,” Shumpert said, via cavs.com.

Shumpert made a push to the Cavs comeback trail in Game 4, and as the playoffs roll on, the Cavs will be looking for him to continue his effective three-point shooting and draining defense.

Were you surprised by Iman Shumpert’s performance?