The NY Knicks are off to a not so great start despite their owner hoping for a championship this season and with James Dolan starting to get more hands on with the team, could he pull of something crazy like an Iman Shumpert trade if the team doesn't improve over the next month or two and especially after the team was blown out and looked terrible against the Spurs?
Dolan previously was mentioned in trade rumors last summer regarding Shumpert, as he wanted the young star to play in the summer league after dealing with an injury during the regular season. Dolan has made some bad moves before and this could be another one, but putting it past him would be a mistake, as he could pull off a trade if things continue to go south. According to ESPN.com, Stephen A. Smith revealed in an interview with Dwight Howard that Dolan wanted to trade Shumpert, who is considered to be one of the most talented players on the Knicks.
Last season Shumpert was coming back from an ACL injury and he came on hard in the playoffs, averaging nearly seven points and two assists with three rebounds in 12 games and he also played stellar defense. That is one reason why the Knicks should not trade Shumpert, as he is one of their best perimeter defenders and has turned into one of the more solid players in the league. He averaged nearly 10 points against the Celtics in the playoffs and while he has been a bit shaky this year, the Knicks would be wise to keep him, as they are not long on young talent.
The Knicks started off great last season and ended up winning over 50 games, but now through four games they are 2-4 and the team is ranked 25th in scoring after being in the top 15 last season. They are ranked third in scoring defense now and were in the top 10 last season and they will need to keep that up for any chance at a deep playoff run. The team added Metta World Peace and brought back JR Smith, but he was suspended for the first part of the season and that has hurt the team as well.
The team now has Tim Hardaway in the back court as well after taking him with the 24th overall pick in the draft and he signed a four year deal and that could be one reason why Dolan pulls the trigger. The team has a tough schedule in November and Shumpert could end up in the starting lineup eventually if the team continues to play this way. Shumpert scored double digit points in four of the first five games of the season and he is shooting better than last year and that could lead Dolan to find a suitor for a trade as well, but a move like that is misguided.
Teams like the Knicks can't afford to make moves like that now, as they expect to be in the mix at the end of the season and against teams like the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers, the team needs Shumpert. The Knicks opened the season with a seven point win over the Bucks after having a huge lead and then they lost three straight games to the Chicago Bulls, Timberwolves and Charlotte Bobcats. The schedule into the month is tough and includes games against the Houston Rockets, Spurs, Indiana Pacers as well as the LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets and if they don't turn things around soon, it could be a long season at Madison Square Garden.
