Knicks Coach Excited For Landry Shamet

The New York Knicks aren’t waiting until the trade deadline to add to their team.

Earlier this week, the Knicks signed Landry Shamet to a contract after he made a full recovery from a shoulder injury he suffered during the preseason.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is excited about Shamet’s potential and what he brings to the table.

“He’s an experienced player, depth in the rotation is very important,” Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. “The more guys you can trust to put into the game is important, especially for the Knicks who are really looking to round out into playoff form.”

Shamet has playoff experience with 53 postseason games under his belt with the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns. There’s reason to believe he may be able to add to that total with the Knicks given his versatility on the wing.

“He knows how to play off people extremely well,” Thibodeau said. “The three-point shooting, he can handle the ball, play off the ball, the versatility with Cam [Payne] and Deuce [Miles McBride]. I think they fit well together. And he plays fast, and I think that helps.”

Shamet made his Knicks debut against the Toronto Raptors on Monday in garbage time, but Thibodeau will look to slowly ease him into more minutes down the line.

“That was more just to see, like, where he was in terms of getting him some games,” Thibodeau said. “Being in games is a lot different than practicing. So just getting that to make sure everything was good, to see how he felt the next day. So that was good. It was part of the rehab.”

If Shamet can continue to progress, he could be a secret weapon for the Knicks down the stretch of the season.

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