I Man Shumpert never received basketball instruction at Georgia Tech. He was unpolished and raw. Like too many young fellas, he relied on his superior athletic gifts to make an impression. Unfortunately, game understands game in a grown mans NBA, and reality can smack you upside the head when your knee buckles.
Of course Woodson was extra tough on Shumpert. As the head coach, that is his responsibility. Diamonds are created by pressure, not coddling. Did anyone whine when Red Holtzman would swap out all his starters in disgust? This ain't a babysitting service. You either man up or take a seat. It's that simple.
Shump may have pouted, but in his heart he understands that when a coach is extra tough, that means he sees something worth challenging. The worst treatment any coach can give a young player is to ignore him.
That was the game. It was a real Knicks game, one that made me feel. And Iman Shumpert, man. "Holy Shump!", like Crackback and a few of y'all exclaimed, is right. Shump producing even half that much would make 2014 a whoooole lot better than the end of 2013. One narrow win over a great team doesn't make a turnaround, but even in isolation, Thursday night was great, if only for the opportunity to feel again.
- seth Rosenthal
The objective is to learn discipline and grow.