"Got a little overexcited," Shumpert told cleveland.com in the locker room after the game. "I felt good though. It's been a while but I get comfortable in that position. I played it my whole life so it kind of got me feeling good. I appreciated that."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The plan has been in place since the off-season.
Staring at a gloomy point guard situation -- the backup spot -- after the departure of Matthew Dellavedova, the uncertainty surrounding Mo Williams and the array of questions about diminutive rookie Kay Felder, head coach Tyronn Lue started to contemplate other alternatives.
LeBron James. Jordan McRae. DeAndre Liggins. Iman Shumpert.
Yes, Shumpert. The player who was once looked at as the long-term answer at two-guard for the Cavs before J.R. Smith seized the gig. The same guy who is coming off his worst statistical season and has spent the bulk of training camp and preseason filling Smith's spot in the starting lineup.
Each player Lue has been considering brings something different, an element the Cavaliers covet. Each has had chances throughout the preseason.
Shumpert's opportunity came in the finale Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards. He not only ran the offense with the second unit, but also logged minutes at point guard alongside the starters.
"Got a little overexcited," Shumpert told cleveland.com in the locker room after the game. "I felt good though. It's been a while but I get comfortable in that position. I played it my whole life so it kind of got me feeling good. I appreciated that."
Shumpert started to glow when talking about his days at the 1. A ballyhooed high school player in Illinois, Shumpert was recruited to Georgia Tech before becoming a first-round pick. He even played point guard as a rookie in New York under head coach Mike D'Antoni.
But most of his NBA career -- and his almost two-year stint with the Cavaliers -- has been spent at shooting guard.
"It's something I have to get back used to," Shumpert admitted. "Just knowing what packages to call, what play packages, knowing when to get to shots, knowing when to get to certain spots, knowing what guys to get going and how to use your weapons right. It will take a while. But I'm glad they gave me some looks at point guard."
On Tuesday, in a game Lue referred to as the team's "dress rehearsal," the final tune-up before the regular season opener on Oct. 25, Shumpert played 23 minutes, spending a majority of the time handling the ball.
He went 2-of-9 from the field, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also dished out a game-high five assists to go with seven rebounds while bringing his usual spirited defense. On the bad side of things, Shumpert committed three miscues, admitting to being a little jumpy when being told he would play his old position.
"I just wanted to get a look at it, just see him playing the backup point, having a chance to guard John Wall, a bigger guy on John Wall," Lue said. "We know he can guard point guards, so that's not, not a big thing for us. Just see how he handled it, get us into our sets."
So what did Lue think of his latest experiment?
"First half I thought he did a real good job, second half I thought the pressure sped him up a little bit," he admitted. "That's always going to happen when you haven't played the position for a while."
It also happened when Lue used a Shumpert-McRae backcourt, which led to very little spacing and not nearly enough outside shooting. It would be tough to envision that combination having consistent success in the regular season. But with Irving back in the locker room dealing with calf tightness Tuesday night, Lue might've been forced into that duo.
Getting Shumpert work at point guard, however, was by design.
"He talked to me about it in the summer," Shumpert said. "T. Lue knows that I came into the league playing point guard and he understands that. He told me to be ready to do it. Tonight, he sort of surprised me right before the game with it. I was happy to be out there doing it and it felt good. It's an adjustment, but I will be ready for it."
Since training camp started, Lue has spoken about taking a "committee approach" in his quest to lighten Irving's load.
Shumpert's size, versatility and defensive prowess make him an intriguing option, especially given the bounty of talented lead guards in the Eastern Conference.
"Certain situations," Lue said when asked about his comfort with Shumpert in that role. "We'll have to see if teams have their backup point guards pick up full court and pressure the ball, or play a big part in it. Who's playing starting point guard for those guys? It all plays a part. It's going to be a game-to-game, night-to-night situation."
If teams start applying pressure, Lue will likely have James or someone else bring the ball up and get the team into its offense. It's not a bad fallback option.
But to Shumpert's credit, he worked on his ball handling this summer and dropped weight so he could keep his speed up and try to stay healthy in preparation for a larger workload.
The Cavs have other options on the perimeter besides Shumpert, which likely contributes in Lue's thinking. The team has been excited about McRae's progress. Mike Dunleavy is versatile enough to play either spot on the wing and this would give him more playing time. Richard Jefferson became an integral piece in the Cavs' small-ball lineup last year.
Nothing has been decided. It's one of the few questions the Cavs have in their quest to repeat. And the regular season will be used to explore every option.
"It's gonna be a work in progress," Lue said. "Keep mixing the lineups 'til we find what works for us. We have a different team, backup point guard situation. So, we're going to just keep mixing and matching until we find the right combination."
Perhaps that will include Shumpert, giving him a chance to go back to his roots.
