NEW YORK — The Knicks drafted Iman Shumpert out of Georgia Tech in large part because he is an athletic defender with size who can cover elite wings like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
But with the Knicks set to host the Miami Heat Sunday in a critical game for playoff positioning, Shumpert is down with a right ankle injury suffered in the third quarter of the team’s 103-65 blowout of the hapless Washington Wizards.
“They said I’m day to day,” Shumpert said as he walked out of the Knicks locker room looking fairly OK. “I think I’ll be alright.”
Shumpert will be reevaluated during Saturday’s practice and the Knicks will go from there.
The Heat have their own injuries woes as Wade sat out the team’s 105-82 victory Friday over the Charlotte Bobcats.
If Shumpert can’t go or is limited Sunday, J.R. Smith may have to spend more time defending Wade.
“I’m not really sure but whenever I’m in the game I’m pretty sure I’ll be guarding him,” said Smith, who finished with a team-best 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting against Washington. “I’m not really set on the minutes or anything like that. Hopefully, Shump will guard him. He’s a pretty tough kid, so I’m sure he will.
“Our matchups won’t really change. I’ve guarded him before and I’m up to guard him again.”
Knicks interim head coach Mike Woodson is now 13-4 overall and a perfect 9-0 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are now tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 7 spot in the East and could face the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
But that record will be put to the test Sunday before a national TV audience.
“Our next opponent is the Heat and they are one of the best teams in the East and they have been that all year,” Woodson said. “I have to go home and study a little bit more about Miami. We will have a walk through [Saturday] and get ready for Sunday. Sunday will be a big game for us…a big test.”
Other than Carmelo Anthony (18 points), Smith and Shumpert are the two players who have thrived most since Woodson took over for Mike D’Antoni.
The coach spoke highly before the game of both players, saying of Smith: “I believe in J.R. When you have a coach that believes in you then you feel pretty good about the shots that you take. I shot the ball a lot when I played, so I know you don’t always take good shots.”
Smith was efficient from the field Friday and he may need to play a bigger part Sunday, especially if “The Rook,” as Woodson calls Shumpert, can’t go or is limited.
“It means a lot for a coach to stick in there with confidence,” Smith said of Woodson. “Coming over here with so much hype from China basketball and score 30 a night and to come over here and get eight, six and stuff like that, it’s tough.
“But it gives you a lot more confidence when the coach sticks with you.”
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Photo: Reuters
