Landry Shamet Impressing in Knicks Camp

The (former) Sun rises at New York Knicks camp.

Reports from the Charleston portions have spoken highly of Landry Shamet, who appears to be taking advantage of a newfound opportunity created by the trade of Donte DiVincenzo.

Formerly of Phoenix, Shamet is working on a non-guaranteed deal and is one of several veterans fighting for a roster spot (cap restraints will likely afford the other to a newcomer on a two-way deal).

Head coach Tom Thibodeau wants to see how the second unit operates in a game situation and he’ll get his wish come Sunday evening when the Knicks open their preseason slate in Charlotte (5 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV). But he had special praise for Shamet’s early work in a report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

“He’s done a really good job,” Thibodeau lauded. “He has really good chemistry with Cam [Payne], and then when you put Deuce [McBride] into that, they’re very fast. You can play with a lot of speed … I think it’ll be a very strong unit for us.” 

Shamet, 27, was a late entrant into Knicks camp, as he was signed on Sept. 14 after spending last season with Washington. Coming to New York reunites him with fellow former Suns like Payne and Mikal Bridges and he’s also back in the city after spending the 2020-21 campaign across town in Brooklyn.

Dwindling backcourt depth has been a side effect of the Knicks’ return to power: they traded Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Immanuel Quickley to Toronto to acquire OG Anunoby in December and DiVincenzo was one of the headlining pieces of the deal that brought in Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota.

Shamet could plug up some of those holes that have developed, especially after tying a career-best by shooting 43.1 percent from the floor last year.

“Landry can shoot the ball really well, move without the ball,” Bridges said in video from SNY. “I’ve been around Landry for a while. Whenever we play pick-up or when we play games, I always want Landry on my team, like all the time.”

“He just daggers you away. He cuts, he moves with the ball so well, he’s fast, he can drive. He was a point guard before he got drafted and (Philadelphia) made him into a spot-up shooter. So he still has the capability to be a combo guard and do everything. I love Landry.”

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