Shumpert cleared, could join Knicks in London

Mike Woodson continues to lament his team's "slippage" in physical play and defensive intensity, but the Knicks might not be without one of their top defensive players beyond Sunday's home game against New Orleans.

Iman Shumpert has been medically cleared to rejoin the Knicks, and Woodson revealed the dynamic second-year guard could be available to play Thursday in London against Detroit for the first time since he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the playoffs last spring against Miami.

"Physically I feel great. I don't think I'll have any setbacks in that department. Right now I'm just looking forward to making sure I know all the coverages and the system to the best of my ability before I come back," Shumpert said after practice Saturday in Greenburgh. "I know the guys have been waiting (for me). I think I can relieve a little bit of the pressure as far as defensively being a presence, offensively just being that energy guy. I'm the youngest guy on the team, and I'm the one that's full of life all the time. That's what they expect. They expect more my spirit, and me coming out here and providing that energy."

Shumpert, the Knicks' first-round pick in 2011, finished seventh in the NBA with 1.7 steals per game as rookie last season ? becoming the first Knick to finish in the top 10 in that category since Mark Jackson in 1987-88. With starting point guard Raymond Felton sidelined with a broken finger, older guards Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni have been forced into heavier than expected minutes in recent games. It's showed on the defensive end, with Shumpert admitting he's been troubled watching opposing guards exploit the Knicks in penetration for big offensive numbers.

"It bothers me, but that's what I've been working for, for eight months," Shumpert said. "So I can come back and help with things like that, and also applying pressure on guards as far as us running our fast break, so they don't have as much energy to go at us on the offensive end."

Similar to Amar'e Stoudemire's recent return from knee surgery, Woodson indicated that Shumpert will be eased back into the playing rotation to regain what the player called "NBA shape."

Still, the struggling Knicks, who've dropped three straight games for the first time this season and eight of 13 overall, will play at least one more game without Shumpert ? Sunday against the Hornets.

"We have to approach it as a must win to get this little monkey off our back," Carmelo Anthony said.

Anthony and Stoudemire said Woodson showed the team game films before practice, comparing the defensive intensity in the Knicks' impressive win over San Antonio on Jan. 3 and their most recent defeats, especially Friday's 108-101 home loss to Chicago.

"I'm not condoning physical play of hitting people or things like that, but we've just got to be a little more physical," Woodson said. "We were that way when we started the season and we've had some slippage in that area. I look at the Boston game, the two Chicago games here at home, and they were the tougher teams. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, they were tougher.

"Today was a lot of teaching, a lot of film work, and just telling these guys the difference between playing hard and not playing hard. Films don't lie."

Woodson added that the Knicks, whose lead over Brooklyn is down to two games in the Atlantic Division, likely will hold a grueling two-hour practice Monday before leaving for London.

"We just have to get back to it," Woodson said. "I don't want to say we need to beat up on each other, but we need to get in the gym where we mix it up a little bit?Because I just think we need that, to get back to what we should be about. It ain't about trying to outscore teams, which we've been struggling in that area as of late, too. It's about trying to defend, rebound and then figure out the offense once we get the ball?Right now, we're playing defense in spurts and that's not good enough."

Source: http://feeds.nydailynews.com/~r/nydnrss/sports/~3/nCqE61LKtlQ/story01.htm

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