WASHINGTON ? Chris Bosh, Jarrett Jack and Derrick Favors all had Paul Hewitt?s blessings when they left Georgia Tech for the NBA as underclassman.
Iman Shumpert, however, was different. With an NBA lockout looming and the chance to be a lottery pick in the 2012 draft, Shumpert was advised by his college coach to stick around one more year.
?I thought it was the right thing to do,? Hewitt said on Friday. ?But when I saw him today I told him he made the right decision.?
Hewitt, now in his first season at George Mason, was at the Verizon Center on Friday but departed at halftime and thus wasn?t around to see his former player rally the Knicks to a 99-96 victory over the Wizards. Shumpert started the second half at point guard in place of Toney Douglas and over the final two quarters he totaled six points, seven assists and four steals.
?We realized that we weren?t playing with energy that we usually have,? Shumpert said after just his third NBA game. ?Guys started making shots and we really came together.?
Shumpert was the starting point guard against the Pistons on Saturday night, scoring 11 points
in 28 foul-plagued minutes in the Knicks? second win in two nights.
The Knicks? season is just two weeks old but already Shumpert has made a dramatic impact on the team. He played well in the Christmas Day opener against Boston only to suffer a sprained right knee in the fourth quarter.
The original timetable for his return was 2-4 weeks, but Shumpert returned in 10 days. In his second game at the Garden, Shumpert had the crowd chanting his name ? only to leave with three minutes left in a loss to Charlotte with leg cramps.
The following day, D?Antoni hinted that Shumpert could make his first pro start and although the coach had a change of heart on Friday, he realized by halftime that he had to make a switch.
Douglas was removed, possibly for good, after he missed all five shots and failed to record one assist. Douglas then played just two minutes in the second half.
Donnie Walsh?s last move as Knicks president was drafting Shumpert with the 17th pick. Shumpert?s athleticism and defensive prowess have made him an instant fan favorite. Those are the qualities that Hewitt admired as well. He knew Shumpert was ready physically for the NBA but wanted to be sure that Shumpert was prepared for the mental challenges as well.
?He has a lot of confidence in me on the court,? Shumpert said of Hewitt. ?He wanted to make sure I was ready for it off the court. He didn?t want me to hang around with the wrong guys. He?s always looking out for me. But seeing me now, he?s happy I made the decision I did.?
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