Knicks Forced to Shorten Landry Shamet's Playoff Leash for Game 2

Though exciting, the Knicks' Game 1 win over the Hawks also laid bare some early concerns for a team with championship aspirations. Struggling to put Atlanta away in the final minutes certainly stood out, but so did the bench's quieter performance.

Landry Shamet was the worst offender of the bunch, turning the second-most minutes (18) among the team's second unit into a tie for the fewest points (3). He was incredibly off from three-point land (1-of-5), which is a concern for a player expected to fill a 3-and-D role.

There were already some doubts about how Shamet, who enjoyed a nice bounce-back campaign in 2025-26, would perform on the big stage. Even though it's early in New York's playoff journey, this showing leaves head coach Mike Brown to consider backup plans in case these woes continue.

Knicks have options to fill Landry Shamet's playoff minutes if he can't shake early struggles

Considering how pesky the Hawks were in Game 1, this was a chance for Shamet to show how important his minutes can be in the postseason. The bench being able to take off some of the scoring load and preserve any built up leads is even more important now when the starters are pushed their limits in terms of playing time.

Yet, Shamet was not up to that crucial task in the series opener. After knocking down his first three, he missed his next five attempts. Some were ill-advised, but several others were in the kind of spot-up mold that he's expected to thrive upon.

Landry Shamet vs. Atlanta Hawks 4/18/2026

3 PTS | 1-6 FG | W 113-102 pic.twitter.com/L4e0cD58v7
— NBA Shooting Audit (@NBAShotAudit) April 19, 2026

Not capitalizing on spoon-fed opportunities is one of the top ways to lose the coaching staff's trust, which has to be earned again in the playoffs. That's especially the case when there's a host of others the team could turn to instead.

Fellow wing Jordan Clarkson made the most of his only 11 minutes against the Hawks, notching eight points on 4-of-6 shooting while adding two rebounds. Miles McBride didn't find points in bunches, but he still outscored Shamet (6 to 3) while adding two assists as well.

Meanwhile, trade deadline acquisition Jose Alvarado was the biggest DNP on Saturday. Alvarado put up 57 points to Shamet's 33 over the last five games of the season despite seeing a few minutes (108) less than the former 76er (112). That's not even to mention Tyler Kolek, Mohamed Diawara or Jeremy Sochan.

Even though Shamet has an advantage over those names considering his minutes are heavy at shooting guard and he fits the necessary size there, Clarkson (who spent 65% of his time at SG this season) showed the Knicks they would benefit from him seeing more time on the court. McBride's 21 minutes in Game 1 also have room to go up, which makes it clear NY isn't forced to just gut it out with Shamet.

It wasn't all bad for the vet, as his defense was a clear factor in Hawks breakout guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker having a rough game (6-of-17, 17 points). He posted a 97.4 defensive rating in Game 1 as well, which was third-highest on the team.

That said, nothing Shamet gave on Saturday makes him safe from his role being tweaked. McBride logged an even better defensive rating (95.2, first on the team), and he offers more scoring upside. Clarkson starting the series as the team's top bench scorer despite seeing the least time on the floor is already good reason to borrow minutes from elsewhere, and Shamet is the top candidate considering the little impact he left offensively.

With the Hawks being able to put up points in a hurry, Brown needs to be able to lean on the bench to at least keep things close when they're out there. Shamet, who already entered the matchup in a bit of a rut after returning from injury, didn't help make the team confident in his ability to help there in the opener.

Considering how much Shamet was featured during the regular season, there's reason to believe he'll be allowed another chance to make up for this stinker. Yet, the Knicks can't afford to have someone who's part of the shortened rotation not doing all of their expected job, so the walls are closing in on the guard even if it's early yet in the postseason.

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