Landry Shamet’s place on this year’s Knicks roster was far from assured.
Shamet wasn’t signed again until mid-September. Just over a month later, he secured the last spot on the team, a position made available by the unexpected retirement of backup guard Malcolm Brogdon.
Shamet is seizing this chance with both hands.
During Sunday night’s 112-100 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden, Shamet delivered a standout performance, scoring 23 points in 26 minutes coming off the bench.
He was remarkably efficient, shooting 8-of-13 from the field, including an impressive 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
“It’s part of the journey,” Shamet reflected. “There are ups and downs in this game. You can’t get too focused on either end of that spectrum. Just focus on your work every day, aim to be a good teammate, and everything else will fall into place.”
Sunday’s game marked the the third time this season that Shamet has made six 3-pointers.
The first instance occurred during a Nov. 14 win over the Miami Heat, during which Shamet erupted for a career-high 36 points.
Then in a 120-66 drubbing of the Nets on Jan. 21, Shamet shot a perfect 6-of-6 from beyond the arc and finished with 18 points.
“I always say I have the easy job,” Shamet said. “I’m on the receiving end. It’s guys like [Jalen Brunson] getting blitzed and having to make the right decision. … My job is to catch the ball and shoot the ball.”
And he’s doing it well.
Shamet is shooting a career-best 43.5% on 3-pointers this season. He’s averaging 9.3 points in 20.4 minutes per game over 24 appearances, including six starts, in head coach Mike Brown’s offense.
That’s after Shamet averaged 5.7 points in 15.2 minutes per game over 50 appearances, all off the bench, last season under then-head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Working with Mike has been great,” said Shamet, who has played for six teams over eight NBA seasons.
“Early on, I was just worried about making the team and doing our best to help us win. But as we’ve spent more time together, I’m grateful for him and just want to continue to do what I can on a night-to-night basis to help us win games.”
Shamet returned last month from a right shoulder sprain that caused him to miss 25 games. It’s the same shoulder he dislocated during the preseason in 2024.
The Knicks needed him Sunday, as Shamet made four 3-pointers in the second half, including three in the fourth quarter to help ice the win.
“It’s been a blessing to play with him,” Brunson said. “Obviously, last year and this year, he got a little banged up. But now he’s back and he’s healthy. Putting his body on the line every night is exactly what we need, so it’s a pleasure playing with him.”
