Houston Rockets swingman Iman Shumpert was brought aboard back in February following a trade with the Sacramento Kings. Shumpert’s veteran presence was taken away from the upstart Sacramento group and re-assigned to a Houston side that was in need of his shot-making ability and defensive activity down the stretch run of the season.
Now that he has returned from a calf injury, Shumpert believes he is on the right path to contributing when it will matter most, via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
“I had to sit out and then sit out another week for my calf. In that time I gained a little weight not practicing, not getting back in the games. It takes the body a little time to adapt. But I’ll hit my stride. I’ll be ready for the playoffs.”
Iman Shumpert has been used primarily off the bench by head coach Mike D’Antoni, positioning him as one of the many shooters deployed to catch and shoot on one end and lock down his man on the other.
Over his six most recent outings, Shumpert has attempted 26 field goals, 18 of which have come from behind the 3-point line. He played in 12 games during March, averaging 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest while shooting 35.2 percent overall.
Shumpert is no stranger to the postseason, where he has appeared in 71 games over five trips with the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He won a ring with the Cavs in 2015-16 as a key bench piece, having shot 37.8 percent from deep during his postseason career.
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