ORLANDO — Trouble struck early as Landry Shamet was blindsided by Wendell Carter Jr.’s unexpected presence.

Mere minutes into the Knicks’ 133–121 defeat at Kia Center on Saturday, Shamet collided with an uncalled illegal screen, tumbling to the floor alongside Carter and Jalen Suggs. Clutching his right shoulder in visible agony, Shamet swiftly left the court, hunched over and grimacing, heading directly to the locker room.

“It’s tough to see,” remarked Karl-Anthony Towns. “He’s been giving it his all and proving his worth to our team and Knicks fans. It’s a real blow for him to face this just when he’s gaining momentum.”

What followed was a dishearteningly familiar scenario.

The Knicks quickly announced Shamet’s exit due to a right shoulder injury. Observers feared the worst: a potential re-dislocation of the same shoulder he injured last preseason, which sidelined him for two months and led to his temporary release before rejoining the team midseason.

“He’s someone who’s worked tirelessly to make a comeback and has been performing well,” stated Jalen Brunson. “It’s tough, but knowing him, he’ll bounce back stronger than ever.”

The timing couldn’t be worse — for Shamet or the Knicks

Individually, Shamet had just carved out real equity with Mike Brown: dependable bench piece, trusted spot starter, and a seamless fit in Brown’s pace-and-space scheme. His blend of perimeter gravity and defensive toughness was stabilizing a rotation already searching for continuity.

“First and foremost we hope he’s good,” Josh Hart said. “More so mentally… someone like Lan, someone who’d been battling and feel like it’s just a freak accident here and there. So it’s tough. Now it’s like they say, next man up, and we’ve got to figure out.”

Collectively, his loss hits even harder.

The Knicks were already without OG Anunoby (hamstring) and Miles McBride (illness). Shamet’s exit three minutes into the game left New York down three perimeter defenders in a matchup already tilted toward Orlando’s physical, drive-heavy style.

“I’m gonna keep preaching: it’s about next-man up,” head coach Mike Brown said after the game. “In our case it’s next-man up, next-man up, next-man up or something like that. We have to have guys ready to play especially some guys that hadn’t played minutes. They don’t have to come in and do a lot. They just have to come in and play hard and continue trying to play the way that we play on both ends of the floor.”

Shamet’s teammates know what this injury means

Mikal Bridges said he caught Shamet at halftime and saw his spirits were intact — a small win considering the circumstances.

“He said he was OK… As long as he’s OK, his mental is OK,” Bridges said. “Just praying for the best and hoping everything is okay. Definitely going to need him out there.”

Bridges and Shamet share a bond from their days in Phoenix, which only magnified the frustration in his voice.

“Wouldn’t want that for anybody, to go down and get hurt in the game, especially Landry I’m close with and dealing with probably the same shoulder thing,” he said. “Just praying for the best and hoping everything is okay, Definitely going to need him out there.”

If Shamet misses extended time, the Knicks have a problem

New York’s margin for error was already shrinking. Shamet is averaging 9.3 points on 42.4% from three, his second-highest clip of his career. He’s one of the Knicks’ few true three-and-D specialists — the exact profile Brown’s motion-heavy system relies on to balance Brunson and Towns.

If Shamet has to miss extended time, there’s no one-for-one replacement left on New York’s roster. The Knicks already handed Anunoby a two-week recovery timeline beginning on his Nov. 12 injury date, and Shamet is the only other bona fide three-and-D wing on the depth chart.

Without him, the Knicks are in a bind — at least until Anunoby returns.

“Obviously how valuable he is. But it’s next guy,” said Bridges. “Next guy has to step up. A lot of guys in the locker room that’s ready. Just next man up honestly.”