Age: 20 (3/13/1997)
Height & Weight: 6’4″ & 180 pounds
Slash Line: .500/.459/.825
Season Averages: 31.6 MPG, 15.0 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.2 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 2.7 3PM
With the third of three first-round draft picks, the Atlanta Hawks look back to the perimeter. With John Collins and Mohamed Bamba down low, the Hawks address the need to space the floor and give those players room to operate.
There’s still a question about if Landry Shamet is a point guard or a shooting guard, but a combo guard scenario would actually be beneficial to the Hawks.
Shamet may be the best Wichita State Shockers prospect since former New York Knicks forward Xavier McDaniel. He’s a 6’4″ guard with a high release on his jump shot and two seasons of evidence that he’s a legitimate sharpshooter.
Shamet is also an improved playmaker who should be able to complement Dennis Schröder as a solid backup point guard and spend time playing alongside him in an off-ball setting.
What’s made Shamet’s 2017-18 campaign so impressive is a previously stated word: Improved. He’s become a better shooter, facilitator, and finisher at the rim since 2016-17, and it stands to reason that he still has room to grow.
If Mike Budenholzer handles this situation properly, he could have a Sixth Man of the Year candidate or even a potential starter in Shamet.
Must Read: Top 5 point guards in the 2018 NBA Draft
The 2018 NCAA Tournament field is set, meaning many of these projections could soon be blurred by the lost perspective caused by March Madness.
For the New York Knicks and the other franchises on the board, however, these calculated risks could pay dividends.