Taking a look at a potential Atlanta Hawks signing of Iman Shumpert.
The Brooklyn Nets waived veteran guard Iman Shumpert early Thursday morning. Should the Atlanta Hawks’ take a look at signing him? The addition could make a lot of sense for both parties.
Shump has been known for 2 main things during his 9-year NBA career: defense and 3-point scoring, which just so happen to among the Hawk’s biggest weaknesses currently.
The Georgia Tech product has shifty hands and quick feet on defense, not unlike former Hawk Kent Bazemore. He would instantly become the Hawks’ best defender, especially on the perimeter.
His career shooting percentage from range is just 33%, but Shump has always been a streaky shooter. If he gets hot, he can really change the outcome of the game.
At the very least, his shot is good enough for defenders to have to put some attention towards. He can also handle the ball well enough to be considered a point/shooting guard hybrid, perhaps officially filling the backup point guard vacancy in Atlanta.
Shumpert, a former NBA champion when he worked as a role player alongside LeBron James in Cleveland, may shy away from signing with a young team near the bottom of the standings, but if he values minutes over being on a contender, it could work out nicely.
Shump was buried on the Rockets’ bench last season, receiving a career-low in minutes per game. He might not get the starting nod in Atlanta, but he would like get some solid minutes headlining the 2nd team.
If the Hawks’ front office is serious about getting Trae Young help sooner than later, Iman Shumpert being waived could be a real freebie.
The vet would be cheap, and fill two of the Hawks’ biggest faults this season. There would be little to no downside, and at the very least, adding a vet to a very young team never hurts.
Wheter it be the Hawks or someone else, I don’t expect the 29-year-old shooting guard to be on the market for very long.