Carmelo Anthony believes Iman Shumpert was a draft night steal because of the confidence in his own abilities and the chip on his shoulder.

“He’s so poised as a rookie,” Anthony said. “You can’t say that about a lot of rookies. For him to come and fit right into what we have going on here, that’s big-time. That says a lot about him. One thing he doesn’t lack is confidence and I love that. There are times we feed off him.

“That’s his approach too. I want him to play with a chip on his shoulder, and go out and show everybody what he’s about. You can see it. In order for us to be successful, he’s a big part of this.’’

Shumpert is a combined plus-28 over the Knicks’ last four games, third-best on the team according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“He plays with great pace,” Tyson Chandler said. “As far as the guard position, I haven’t seen anybody with as much confidence.

“It can be intimidating coming into the league and playing with guys that are already established. He came in and believed in himself from Day 1. When you believe in yourself, you demand respect from veterans ... He’s already exceeded the expectations anybody had for him.’