How the Knicks Should Handle Landry Shamet in the Playoff Lineup

To say that Landry Shamet has been underwhelming since returning from a knee injury would be an understatement.

The veteran New York Knicks guard has struggled on both ends of the floor following a five-game absence, averaging just 6.6 points on 41.4% shooting despite averaging 22.4 minutes per outing over the last five games. That's far from encouraging at this time of the year.

With the 2025-26 NBA postseason beginning in a week, it'll be interesting to see how Knicks head coach Mike Brown handles Shamet's minutes. Although the 29-year-old wing has made 64 playoff appearances (11 starts) throughout his eight-year career, New York might be better off leaving him on the bench as much as possible this spring.

Landry Shamet Is Too Streaky to Fully Trust in the Playoffs

It's been hard to make heads or tails of which version of Shamet will show up on any given night this season.

There are some instances when the former 2018 first-rounder performs like a trusted veteran. Shamet has the ability to come off the bench and drop double-digit points, providing the Knicks' top guns with some supporting firepower. Brown has also trusted Shamet to close out games when Mikal Bridges is having an off night or could use a break.

At the same time, Shamet has a knack for disappearing when the Knicks need him to show up. Even dating back to before his knee injury, his performances have left much to be desired — especially offensively — in 11 games since March 9, as seen in the table below:

	Points per game	Field goal attempts per game	Assists per game	Rebounds per game	Steals per game	Plus/Minus	FG%	3P%	Minutes per game
First 40 games	10.1	7.3	1.5	1.8	0.6	3.0	46.0%	41.1%	22.6
Last 11 games	6.6	6.6	1.0	1.9	0.8	6.5	34.2%	31.5%	24.4

Although Shamet finds ways to help the Knicks defensively, it's clear that his offensive regression could make him a liability in the postseason. Eastern Conference teams like the Miami Heat (120.6 points per game, 2nd), Cleveland Cavaliers (119.4 PPG, 4th), and Atlanta Hawks (118.5 PPG, 6th) know how to put the ball in the basket.

The Knicks know how to score as well (116.7 PPG, 10th); however, it's hard to feel confident about Shamet helping them keep pace when he's hit double-digit points just twice in his last 11 contests.

OG Anunoby's immediate future is up in the air after suffering an ankle injury against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. The former All-Defensive slasher sometimes plays over three quarters of a game, depending on the situation, and the last thing New York would want is for Anunoby to miss time and be forced to play Shamet just as much.

Even with Josh Hart nursing an ankle injury, too, the Knicks would be better off giving some of Shamet's minutes to him. Hart has consistently proven that he can handle more work than the 30.2 minutes he averages per night. Not only has he played 35-plus minutes in 14 of his 66 appearances (21.2%). But it was only last season when he paced the NBA regular season, averaging 37.6 minutes per outing.

There's no reason for Brown to lean heavily on Shamet if Hart and Anunoby's health improves in the next week.

Knicks can still play Shamet, just with limited minutes

Barring catastrophic injuries, Shamet shouldn't be starting in the playoffs, nor should he be playing 20-plus minutes per night. Having said that, that doesn't mean the Knicks should completely erase him from their postseason plans, as he does provide some value.

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown and guard Landry Shamet talkin — Mar 17, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown and guard Landry Shamet (44) at Madison Square Garden. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

As mentioned before, Shamet has 64 postseason games of experience under his belt, including 11 appearances with the Knicks last spring. New York limited him to just 7.5 minutes per game off the bench, and it worked out. Shamet was efficient (45.0 FG%, 46.7 3P%) and proved he could show up offensively when needed, highlighted by his 12-point effort on 4-of-7 shooting (57.1%) from the three-point line vs. the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals.

And, if Shamet's performance dips despite limited playing time, the Knicks can rest easy knowing that they still have Jose Alvarado in the mix. Even though he's seemingly been in Brown's bad books (back-to-back DNP's last week), New York's head coach might have no choice but to play Alvarado if Shamet (or even Jordan Clarkson) proves he won't help with the Knicks' playoff aspirations.

Sunday's clash with the Charlotte Hornets will be Shamet's last opportunity to make an impression before the playoffs. The Knicks are resting their starting lineup for the regular-season finale, meaning Shamet has no excuse to continue with the status quo. It's time for him to step up and prove that he can be an impact performer this spring, whether the team is requiring him to help close out games defensively or to be an offensive microwave off the bench.

Update (12:41 p.m. ET on April 12, 2026): Shamet (knee) was ruled out of Sunday's game vs. the Hornets due to injury management, according to RotoWire.

Either way, the clock is ticking for Shamet to carve out a playoff role for himself. Otherwise, the Knicks might even hesitate to bring him back when he hits free agency this summer.

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