A key piece for the Knicks has returned to the rotation.
Sharpshooting guard Landry Shamet is again in motion after absolutely recovering from a dislocated shoulder sustained throughout the preseason.
Shamet re-signed with the Knicks on a one-year deal Sunday, clearing the trail for his return in Monday’s matchup towards the Toronto Raptors.
His comeback is the results of a calculated transfer by head coach Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks entrance workplace.
Initially signed as a seasoned, battle-tested veteran on a reduced minimal deal, Shamet was waived after his damage, however they saved him on their radar and ensured he might rehab in-house by choosing him with a high decide within the 2024 NBA G-League Draft.
Thibodeau confirmed there’s no want for a ramp-up interval, due to Shamet’s current recreation motion in Westchester.
“That was more just to see where he was in terms of — getting him some games — [because] being in games is a lot different than being in practice,” Thibodeau mentioned earlier than Monday’s tipoff. “So just getting that — to make sure everything is good, to see how he felt the next day — that was part of the rehab.”
Thibodeau steered he would possibly broaden his sometimes quick rotation to combine Shamet. He has primarily performed Jericho Sims and Valuable Achiuwa off the bench together with reserve guards Miles McBride and Cameron Payne.
“We could. We’re gonna see how it unfolds,” he mentioned. “He just got here today.”
Shamet’s return helps handle a obtrusive want for the Knicks: bench manufacturing. New York’s second unit ranks useless final in factors per recreation by a 4.5-point margin.
Recognized for his sharpshooting and defensive hustle, Shamet brings invaluable playoff expertise, having performed on three deep postseason groups: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s 2021 Brooklyn Nets, the 2018-2020 Los Angeles Clippers, and the 2021-2023 Phoenix Suns.
He left a powerful impression throughout the preseason, scoring 16 factors on 4-of-8 capturing from three within the exhibition opener and including one other 13 factors towards the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier than his damage.
“Just good, solid veteran leadership. Play multiple positions. We thought he had a great training camp. Unfortunately, he got hurt in that last game,” Thibodeau mentioned. “He’s been around, he’s played in big games. He knows how to play off people extremely well. The three-point shooting, he can handle the ball, play off the ball.”
Shamet isn’t only a standalone addition; he matches seamlessly into the Knicks’ roster dynamics.
He was teammates with Payne and Mikal Bridges throughout the 2021-22 season in Phoenix and was a part of Thibodeau’s three-guard bench lineup alongside McBride and Payne earlier than his preseason damage.
“The versatility with Cam and Deuce — I think they fit well together. He plays fast. I think that helps,” Thibodeau mentioned. “I think that’s a big thing. Cam and Mikal, along with Landry, were part of a Phoenix team that went deep in the playoffs. So I think that’s a plus as well.”
Shamet’s return provides yet one more three-point risk to a Knicks crew already competing for one of many league’s high offenses. He’s the eighth Knicks participant to shoot 40 % or higher from downtown in a season throughout his profession.
Shamet has averaged 8.7 factors per recreation over a six-year profession.
