The Knicks have taken Iman Shumpert out of his role as starting point guard in favor of Toney Douglas.

“Toney’s been playing the point guard better than Shump,’’ D’Antoni said before the game. “I think that today his best position will be the 2 or 3. He did a good job guarding LeBron James [Friday]. He’s learning the league. We’re learning where to play him. The 1 spot is not a natural one. It’s too much.’’

Mike D'Antoni believes some of Shumpert's strong play to start his rookie season has faded.

“Some of the brilliance of his athleticism has worn off a bit,’’ D’Antoni said. “For a rookie it’s a rude awakening to come in and play in so many games. His athleticism has come down a little bit because he has been banged up so it looks like physically he has struggled a bit.’’