LeShaq
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Shumpert seems like a guy who played hard for his contract, then just didn't care. And he doesn't seem to care much of the time.
He was better in the playoffs, but it still just doesn't seem like enough. Particularly given his contract.
In short, he doesn't seem worth the hassle.
This is how I feel about Kyrie, as well (wrong attitude; only plays hard when he wants). But obviously Shumpert is far less talented than Kyrie is.
Getting at least some of The Malcontents off the team is not a bad thing.
Here's some of the history of all of this, through articles.
1. http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2016/09/are_their_concerns_about_cleve.html
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert was arrested on a DUI charge last month near his home in Atlanta, Ga.
No team likes to hear that, but it's not a major issue if it's an isolated incident.
But the Cavs believe Shumpert had a disappointing 2015-16 season. That came after they signed him to a four-year, $40 million contract.
2. https://factoryofsadness.co/2016/02/21/espns-brian-windhorst-iman-shumpert-not-as-focused/
“I think the Cavs were sort of referencing the fact that they’re not thrilled with the way Shump is playing this year (2015-16),” Windhorst said in during his “Hey, Windy!” podcast, which is produced by ESPN Cleveland.
“The word on the street is there’s a little bit of frustration that Shump isn’t as focused on basketball as he was a year ago, when he may have been trying to get his contract.”
“…The perception amongst the Cavs is that he’s not as focused and driven…maybe putting him out there (on the trade market) was a way to kickstart him…I’m sure he didn’t want to go to Sacramento.”
And that disappointment and frustration with Shumpert seemed to lead to an attempt to basically salary-dump him earlier this summer.
3. http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2017/07/cleveland_cavaliers_have_terry_100.html
Question: Why are the Cavaliers considering a trade that basically gives Iman Shumpert to Houston?
A: Looking back, Shumpert's four-year, $40 million contract signed in the summer of 2015 was not one of the best moves for former general manager David Griffin. It's always hard to know what is "overpaid" in the outrageous economics of the NBA. But it seemed very high at the time for a guy who has battled some serious injuries.
And so forth.
The team had multiple "soft/diva/only-play-hard-when-I-want" people on it last year, and I thought that really hurt us. Sure, LeBron coasts at times. But he's played 50,000 career minutes and was in his 14th season. That's understandable. It's less understandable for guys like Irving, Love and Shumpert to dog it and get whiny.
Love has gotten mentally tougher, and he needs to get even tougher still.
We can't just toss Shumpert away because we need defensive help, particularly now against point guards. Still, with the glut of players on the roster at the moment, my guess is Cleveland will look to send Shump packing as early as possible.
And he probably knows that, too, which might be why he supposedly wants out.
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