Ariza replacement number three – Iman Shumpert
NBA journeyman Iman Shumpert may be the best replacement available on the open market. 2016 NBA Champion Shumpert hasn’t been able to find a more permanent home after spending the first seven years of his career on the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.
Shumpert is an excellent defender who has decent physical tools. He is six-foot-five with a six-foot-seven wingspan, and he has the foot speed and strength to guard most two’s and some threes. Again, he isn’t Ariza size, but no one is on the open market.
Shumpert doesn’t have a great offensive game, but he can finish at the rim, and he shoots three-pointers at 33.8 percent. This is around league average.
Shumpert is a good rebounder for his position, and most importantly, he has significant playoff and championship experience. He has played 79 playoff games and guarded some of the NBA’s best guard threats in three trips to the finals.
He has had injury concerns recently, but is back to full health now and is ready to contribute to an NBA playoff team after playing just 13 games for the Brooklyn Nets before being waived in December of 2019.
Shumpert would be a nice stopgap who could come on and guard the tougher defensive assignments if Gary Trent Jr was in foul trouble or needed a rest.
These three players wouldn’t be required to play significant minutes, but the Blazers can’t go to Orlando without a backup two / three. Trent is only a second-year player and may not be ready for 40 minutes a night.
Let’s hope Neil Olshey can make a move to bring someone in before these players get snapped up by other teams.