INDEPENDENCE: From the wrist surgery that cost him two months to some of his worst career numbers across the board, not much went right last season for Iman Shumpert — other than signing that $40 million contract.
Shumpert was brought to Cleveland with the expectation he would be the starting shooting guard on a championship contender. Injuries and ineffectiveness — along with breakout performances from J.R. Smith — changed all of that. Shumpert has started just six regular-season games since coming to Cleveland, but as long as Smith’s future is uncertain, Shumpert is considered the starter for the Cavs. He has plenty of work to do after last season.
“From a personal standpoint, it was my worst statistical season,” he said. “I had a lot to work on this summer.”
Shumpert averaged 5.8 points and shot less than 30 percent from 3-point range. He shot 37 percent overall and wasn’t even the same tenacious defender he has proved to be in the past — it got to the point where coach Tyronn Lue began referring to Smith, not Shumpert, as the team’s best perimeter defender.
Shumpert spent the summer working on his ball-handling and tweaking his shot mechanics, including how he jumps on his 3-point attempts. He spent considerable time with his trainer eating primarily grilled and baked foods. He trimmed his weight, reporting for camp at 212 pounds after playing last season at 225. But Shumpert felt like it was a heavy 225. He gained about 5 pounds while recovering from wrist surgery, and even after he shed it, he never felt quite like he should.
“This is the lightest I’ve played. I didn’t say I was no softer. I’m still a pretty strong guy out here,” Shumpert said. “But everything this summer was low weight, high reps, instead of me forcing the issue with trying to get stronger and stronger.”
Of course, losing weight wasn’t all Shumpert did over the summer. He starred in a Kanye video that included a provocative shower scene with his fiancée, Teyana Taylor, and he was later charged with driving under the influence of marijuana near his offseason home in Atlanta.
Shumpert admitted to the arresting officer he smoked marijuana before driving, according to the arrest report, and police found weed in his rental car. The case is still pending.
“Bad mistake. But I will deal with that,” he said. “I apologize to anybody that had to read that — not only my fans but anybody that’s a fan of the Cavs organization and anybody that’s a fan of the NBA. They shouldn’t have to read that or see that.”
With penetrators like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, the Cavs want Shumpert to focus on defense and his 3-point shooting. Shumpert said the night he returned in January that he can do more than he was able to show, but denied later he felt pressure trying to live up to the four-year, $40 million deal he signed prior to last season.
It wasn’t all bad for Shumpert, however. His four-point play midway through the second quarter of Game 7 during the NBA Finals was one of the biggest plays of the first half. It was the Cavs’ first 3-pointer after missing their first eight attempts.
“Shump can make shots,” Lue said. “I just think he can’t get sped up offensively trying to score the ball. We need him to make open shots, run the pick-and-roll, take his shots and don’t get caught up in the offensive part of it because he’s so much more valuable. Shump can shoot the ball and we’re going to expect him to make shots like he did the year before.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.