The preseason is nothing more than a tune-up for most players, but for New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet, it means so much more. The veteran is currently on a non-guaranteed deal with the Knicks, but has a shot at making the active roster after their blockbuster trades depleted some of their depth.
Landry Shamet was impressive for the Knicks in the preseason opener
He made a strong case to earn a roster spot in their 111-109 preseason-opening victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Shamet played 26 minutes and was the Knicks’ second-leading scorer with 16 points on 6-11 shooting and 4-8 from three. He also showed off some versatility by grabbing four rebounds and recording two steals.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau noted how well Shamet played alongside the bench unit in the preseason opener. The guard spent a lot of time on the floor with Miles McBride and former Phoenix Suns teammate Cameron Payne, and Thibodeau liked the pace they played with.
“Those guys play fast and they play hard,” Thibodeau said (h/t New York Basketball via X). “I thought [McBride’s] ball pressure got us going.”
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Shamet could be impactful for the Knicks’ bench
A roster spot is not guaranteed for Shamet, as the Knicks have lots of guards already on the roster that can give them strong production. However, the Knicks could use his catch-and-shoot three-point abilities in the second unit, especially after losing Donte DiVincenzo in the trade to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns.
The chemistry he has with Payne and Mikal Bridges also puts the odds in Shamet’s favor to crack their final roster spot. The three played together with the Suns and reached the NBA Finals in the 2022 season, where Payne averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 assists while Shamet averaged 8.3 points shooting 37% from three in Phoenix’s second unit.
The hope is that the Knicks can re-create that backcourt duo off the bench that brought a ton of success with the Suns. Their bench has a lot of questions this season with the depth they lost, but if Shamet can continue to deliver strong performances on a more consistent basis, he could be a spark off the bench for them throughout the season.
Shamet will have another opportunity to make a case for a spot on the roster when the Knicks take on the Washington Wizards back home on Wednesday. Another solid performance could be enough for the organization to hand him a standard contract before the start of the season.
