The Legend of Landry Shamet Grows After Another Stellar Playoff Performance

For the second straight Eastern Conference Finals, journeyman Landry Shamet is making his impact felt. The difference is that this time he’s gotten the chance to do so, from the first game after the New York Knicks waited until they were down 2-0 to Indiana last spring to dust off the sharpshooting guard.

Shamet’s 3-pointer with 45 seconds left in Game 1 tied the contest at 99 and fully erased what was a 22-point deficit with 7:52 left. The shot also defied the laws of physics and will live in franchise lore forever. In Game 3 on Saturday night, Shamet scored 14 of the bench’s 23 points in 28 minutes and helped put Cleveland away with three triples in the fourth quarter.

During these Conference Finals, Shamet is 7-for-8 from long distance. Six of his seven made threes have come in the 4th quarter or overtime. After being mostly out of the rotation during the first-round series against Atlanta, the career 38.6% three-point shooter is 14-for-20 from beyond the arc and has been a difference-maker on both sides of the ball.

New York is getting near starter-level value from the non-guaranteed deal that Shamet signed

The Knicks are one victory away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Everyone has played a part, but it’s hard to understate Shamet's importance and the twisting road he’s taken to get to this point.

After Washington declined his $11 million option, Shamet signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Knicks last off-season. He became a favorite of then-head coach Tom Thibodeau during training camp, averaged 10.8 points per game during the pre-season, and appeared set to play a big role in filling the shoes of Donte DiVincenzo.

Those plans were altered when the former 2018 first-round pick dislocated his right shoulder in a pre-season game against the Hornets. He was waived as the Knicks juggled the salary cap and awaited to see if Shamet could avoid surgery. The Westchester Knicks drafted him with the second pick in the G-League draft, allowing Shamet to rehab with the organization.

New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet walking to the locker room with a towel over his shoulder after suffering an injury. — New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) heads to the locker room after an injury during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Shamet signed back on in late December, played some games in the G-League, and was good as new, albeit a bit rusty. Despite being in and out of the rotation all year, the eight-year pro finished the regular season on a high note, averaging 12.2 points per game and shooting 49% (33-67) from long distance in the final ten games. However, that still wasn't enough to join Thibodeau's playoff rotation.

Over the summer, Shamet stuck around the New York area, looking for a job and working as an unpaid credentialed photographer for USTA at the U.S. Open. He didn’t know if he’d have a roster spot this season when he re-upped with the Knicks on an Exhibit 9 deal, which is a non-guaranteed training camp invite that protects the team from injury costs during the pre-season.

New York also signed Malcolm Brogdon and Garrison Mathews to non-guaranteed deals, even though there was only room for one roster spot with the club financially restricted by the second apron. It was an open competition that Shamet won after beating out Mathews and Brogdon, who retired.

The nomadic Shamet always stays ready and has found a home

Under new coach Mike Brown, Shamet saw increased playing time, even starting six games in the early going. He was one of the league's top shooters -- shooting 42.4% from three -- before missing two months after being bulldozed by Orlando's Wendell Carter and reinjuring his right shoulder.

During his time in New York, Shamet has provided two-way intensity, sacrificed his body, and done everything you want from a veteran. He’s also just flat-out helped the team win a handful of games. There was the game winner against Dallas earlier in the year, and his 36-point explosion against Miami that catapulted the Knicks to Vegas and into the NBA Cup Quarterfinal.

Over the last two seasons (101 games), Shamet has shot 39.4% from long range. He’s always ready to shoot and is a prototypical 3-and-D guy. It’s rare to see league minimum players become consistent playoff performers. It's even rarer to see someone sign multiple minimum deals with the same team consecutively and play such a large role.

A strong case can be made that Shamet was the league’s best veteran-minimum signing this year. He's one of the most undervalued players in the NBA, but not to the Knicks or the fanbase.

Add us as a preferred source on Google