Iman Shumpert is now expendable after the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Jae Crowder.
The arrival of Jae Crowder, a three-and-D forward who can be used to match up against the best wings and forwards in the league, may signal the end of Iman Shumpert’s time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With the trade package the Cavs received for Kyrie Irving, their depth on the perimeter is magnificent.
At the point guard position, Isaiah Thomas will lead the charge, with former MVP Derrick Rose, 12-year veteran Jose Calderon and second-year pro Kay Felder providing valuable depth. Although it may seem like four point guards are one too many, the injury history of Thomas and Rose (who has a lengthy injury history) makes it sensible for the Cavs to employ that many point guards.
At the shooting guard position, J.R. Smith will assume the starting role while backed up by Kyle Korver and Iman Shumpert. At the small forward position, LeBron James will obviously start and he’ll be backed up by Jae Crowder, Richard Jefferson and rookie Cedi Osman.
Now, while that may be the depth chart for the Cleveland Cavaliers, coach’s rotations don’t always exclusively include players who are starters or second-string. For instance, although Shumpert was technically a third-string shooting guard last season (after the arrival of Korver and return of Smith), he was still a part of the Cavs regular rotation.
With that said, despite Shumpert being in the same position this season, there are several factors working against him this season that weren’t factors last season.
First, the depth at point guard. Last season, when Felder went down for the season opener, Shumpert manned the backup point guard position. With two able backups and Felder, who is still raw but has shown promise, it’s unlikely Shumpert will receive that opportunity again.
Second, the depth on the wing. Smith and Korver are likely to receive a heavy workload as the two best three-point shooters on the wing. Their role as three-point specialists is particularly important because when playing beside James, they not only function as available outlets should James choose to pass on the drive but they provide ample spacing for James when they’re on the floor.
At small forward, James’ versatility allows head coach Tyronn Lue to place him at any position, which increases the likelihood that both Crowder and Jefferson will receive heavy minutes. Crowder, as previously mentioned, is a three-and-D combo forward that should be able to thrive beside James. Jefferson has a similar role but at 37-years-old and his athletic ability dwindling, he’s on the court more for his understanding of the game than anything.
If you’re counting at home, seven Cavs will already be in the rotation and that’s without counting the big men.
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Kevin Love, who was an Eastern Conference All-Star for the first time last season, will start at power forward. Jeff Green, whose value lies in his versatility rather than efficiency, will back him up. Channing Frye, a knockdown shooter and one of James’ favorite targets, will not only be additional depth at power forward but the center position as well; it’s entirely possible that he’ll also be in the Cavs’ rotation.
At center, Tristan Thompson’s defensive ability and rabid rebounding keep him on the court for the Cavs. Behind him, either center Edy Tavares or Ante Zizic will back him up. While neither Zizic or Tavares is guaranteed a spot in the rotation, there will already be a total of eleven Cavs expected to be in the rotation.
Considering that Lue struggled to find consistency with eleven men in his rotation during the regular season and in the playoffs the Cavs rotation will shrink to eight or nine players, the likelihood that Shumpert becomes a piece of the Cavs’ rotation is slim to none.
Shumpert, whose value lies in being a three-and-D guard capable of locking down either guard position, will have a chance to make an impact in some games because he plays a level of defense that Thomas, Rose and Korver can’t play. Still, he’ll be getting paid $10.3 million to, largely, sit on the bench.
In addition, with Smith, James and Crowder (all capable two-way players) likely to see a lot of time on the court together, a player who can make opposing point guards work for their points like Shumpert can is valuable but unnecessary. The Cavs will already be able to lock down the opposing team’s shooting guard and forwards. Thompson is still the Cavs’ best defensive big man and he can play solid defense on both power forwards and centers.
Besides the Cavs’ defensive capabilities without Shumpert, placing him on the court instead of Thomas or Rose would hamper the Cavs’ offensive capabilities and in this league, point guard points matter.
With that said, Shumpert can opt out of his deal next summer and with no guarantee at playing time he likely will.
All in all, the writing might already be on the wall for Shumpert.
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