Any help Iman Shumpert is going to provide the Nets is going to have to wait. The newly signed wing is already hurt, expected to miss time with a hamstring injury.
“I’m not exactly sure, but I think one of his early workouts he did something to it, and it’s going to take a little bit of time here,” coach Steve Nash said. “I don’t know if I have a date for you, but a week or two is fair to say. We’ll just monitor the situation.
“Let’s hope it’s not obviously going to keep him out long, and that he can get himself in shape. Because that was the thing: He was at the stage where he was trying to get himself into shape, and to have a setback like that, he’s still got to get himself in shape when he’s healthy again. We’re hopeful that it’s not so bad and he can get back there getting his rhythm and fitness back.”
Shumpert hasn’t played in the NBA since December 2019, when he was let go by the Nets. He was living in Atlanta trying to stay in shape, driving 45 minutes to an hour to get into one gym, driving 15-20 minutes to lift at another, and going an hour to Georgia Tech for treatment.
Still, all that work earned him a non-guaranteed deal, and got him in the door. Getting on the floor will be another job altogether.
“I was doing more full-court stuff, and I took the foot off the gas a little to try and make sure I was healthy and make sure when I do come into a situation I have fresh legs, as opposed to trying to run myself into the ground not knowing when I’m going to get that call,” Shumpert said. “It’s easy to run by yourself and force yourself to do sprints. It’s another thing to run, stop, go, get hit by a screen, a couple actions coming in and then you’ve got to make a shot.
“It’s hard for me to simulate those things without having NBA players around. You can say, ‘I did the drill and I shot the floater,’ but it’s another thing when you’ve got [Norvel] Pelle out here trying to block your shot playing pickup.”
After missing one game with a sprained finger, Kyrie Irving was back in the lineup for the Nets Tuesday in Detroit.
After Brooklyn signed Noah Vonleh on Monday, it’s uncertain how far the 25-year-old big man’s conditioning has to improve to be ready to play.
“It’s tricky because with a COVID scenario, when you’re at home, you can do individual workouts. There’s not a lot of runs going on for you to be in great shape,” Nash said. “So it’s another one of trying to get him in a position where he can safely take the floor and survive the demands. So, we’ll see.”