The New York Knicks have done a remarkable job of navigating the turbulence of the 2024-25 regular season. Injuries have struck at various points, offering early disruptions and late-season devastation, but the team has responded with resilience in the face of adversity.
That commitment to seeing things through to the end has seemingly inspired the Knicks' secret weapon to do the same.
New York made an intriguing signing prior to the 2024-25 campaign, bringing in veteran sharpshooter Landry Shamet to improve the depth in the backcourt. Unfortunately, Shamet sustained a shoulder injury during the preseason and was subsequently waived by the Knicks.
Rather than allowing adversity to get the best of him, Shamet has responded by working dilligently, biding his time, and ultimately thriving once the spotlight found him.
New York brought Shamet back on board just before Christmas and has played him in 44 games since then. He's averaging just 14.4 minutes per game, and has admittedly struggled to provide the statistical impact some might've hoped he would.
As the postseason nears and the Knicks decide which players will be utilized in a shortened rotation, however, Shamet is looking like an ace up their sleeve.
Landry Shamet showing why Knicks signed him—at the perfect time
When Jalen Brunson went down with a sprained ankle on Mar. 6, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made it abundantly clear that replacing him would be a team effort. In the month since, New York has relied on its depth to provide accumulated positive contributions in the backcourt.
Shamet has risen to the occasion, averaging 7.8 points and 1.8 three-point field goals made while shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc over the past 13 games.
Shamet has scored at least 10 points in five of those 13 outings, as well as four of the Knicks' past six games. That includes the 20 points he scored during a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, and the 13 he tallied in a victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.
With the postseason rapidly approaching, Shamet is finding his shot and proving that he can provide instant offense off the bench.
Once the playoffs begin, that type of bench player often proves to be essential to the outcome of a series. Teams generally go as far as their best players take them, but every magical run through the postseason tends to include huge performances from unexpected contributors.
Shamet has all of the tools to be that exact type of game-breaking talent off the bench, capable of burying threes when it seems like no one else can get a shot to fall.
Brunson returning to the lineup will lead to an inevitable decrease in playing time for a number of guards. Even if Tom Thibodeau weren't known for playing his starters heavy minutes, teams shorten their lineups once the playoffs begin.
With Shamet in the mix, however, the Knicks have a secret weapon they can utilize when all else seems to be failing during the playoffs.