Perhaps lost in all the second apron hoopla surrounding the New York Knicks this summer was the return of Landry Shamet.
His four-year, $24-million extension was his first multi-year contract since the fall of 2021, and well deserved for a key member of last year’s title team.
Shamet’s made good on their investment already, proving a steadying force for a Knicks team that’s looked uninspired at times to start the year: eight points, two rebounds, and two assists a game on 42% shooting from behind-the-arc.
Head coach Mike Brown has put total trust in Shamet, who’s played the most minutes thus far outside of the starting five. And it’s been inherently good for New York.
According to Fadeaway, the Knicks are outscoring opponents by 6.2 points per 100 possessions with Shamet on the floor, scoring 110 points, and allowing just 103.5.
Continuity has been used in arguments against New York’s viability as a contender this season. But guys like Shamet are also benefactors to it all the same.
He’s become one of the key cogs in coach Brown’s offensive ecosystem.
What shined last season has carried over, with Shamet using his shooting gravity to keep defenses honest around the rim. Then he’ll either drive and find a cutting Knick for the score, or move his way into a more optimal three-point try.
So far, so (really) good. He’s on a heater if you hadn’t noticed.
Shamet is seven-of-15 over the last three games. That’s a blistering 46.7% on high volume at five attempts per game.
But when he passes up the three ball, he’s almost more dangerous. Shamet’s already logged two games with three or more assists. He did that 12 times in all of last season, including playoffs.
Additionally, relative to the catch-and-shoot guys around the league, Fadeaway has Shamet in the 82nd percentile for second assists, i.e. the pass before the pass that results in a bucket. He’s both a funnel and the outlet for offensive possessions when the Knicks are playing their brand of ball.
One cheat code lineup to keep an eye on: when Shamet plays next to a foursome of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and Karl-Anthony Towns, New York is a juggernaut on both ends. Fadeaway has the five-man lineup with a 35.1 net rating, 120.8 offensively, and 85.7 defensively.
Brown’s deployed that lineup 11 minutes already this season after not using it at all last year in the regular season.
With four-plus shooters on the floor and one of them the big man, it’s a recipe for easy Knicks’ buckets, and the exact kind of environment where guys like Hart and Shamet can shine as all-hustlers.
Shamet is 6-foot-5, but on the defensive end he stands taller. When you watch the film, you see a guy who doesn’t take plays off. Effort and intensity alone will catapult you into the top-half of NBA defenders.
He’s there, comfortably. Shamet is consistently sprinting into corners for closeouts, flattening drives, laying out his entire wingspan on jump balls, and just making all of the little plays that Brown emphasizes have a grander impact.
Shamet and the Knicks will look to make it two in a row on Wednesday, as they travel to the United Center and take on the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off is 8:00 pm EST.
