Landry Shamet apparently doesn’t have to worry about the New York Knicks booting him from the rotation now that OG Anunoby has basically confirmed he’ll be ready to rock for the Eastern Conference Finals. It sounds like Mike Brown will find a way to keep him in the mix anyway.
This is mildly surprising, if only because of the trickle-down effects it could have on the rest of the roster. Shamet began the playoffs on the outskirts of the main rotation, but re-entered the mix once Anunoby got sidelined by a hamstring strain. With him on track for a Game 1 return, minutes will be harder to come by for Shamet—unless the Knicks continue rattling off blowouts of epic proportion and with historical frequency.
Then again, maybe not.
Ian Begley of SNY was asked about Shamet’s spot in the rotation during a recent episode of The Putback. “I think Shamet will be in that rotation with OG back,” he said at around the 2:06 mark.
Begs is among the most plugged-in people around the Knicks orbit. If he believes Shamet is going to stick, then Shamet is probably going to stick. But this invariably means someone else won’t.
Landry Shamet minutes could come at the expense of Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson continues to be a revelation for reasons nobody could have predicted at the start of the season. He began the playoffs firmly in front of Shamet and Jose Alvarado. That wasn’t as much of a given by the end of the Philadelphia 76ers series.
Anunoby’s absence coupled with New York’s penchant for sending games into garbage time before the fourth quarter make the true intent difficult to parse. Overall, though, it seemed like Mike Brown’s trust in Shamet by the end of the second round edged out his faith in Clarkson.
To be sure, JC continues to bring the heat as an offensive rebounder and try-hard defender. But his reluctance to shoot threes and inability to hit the ones he launches—he’s 0-of-8 on triples for the playoffs—is a much larger issue when Anunoby isn’t around to bomb away.
Getting OG back doesn’t immediately negate the issue. New York’s shift to using Karl-Anthony Towns as more of a passing hub increases the importance of players who move without the ball and cut toward the basket or spring free for treys. Shamet promises both cutting and shooting. Clarkson is currently offering only one.
This might also say something about the Knicks’ plans for OG Anunoby
None of this has to mean that Clarkson is phased entirely out of the rotation. Even during the playoffs, Brown has been pretty good about plumbing the depths of the roster.
Equally important, we don’t yet know how the Knicks will re-integrate Anunoby. Coming back from a hamstring strain is fickle business. There’s no guarantee he’s ready to resume playing 35-plus minutes per game.
If the Knicks elect to bring him along slowly, it gets easier to pepper in plenty of Clarkson and Shamet. Still, unless OG is limited indefinitely, there will come a time when someone off the bench gets squeezed.
For now, Begley doesn’t believe it’ll be Shamet. We know it won’t be Deuce McBride. And Alvarado hasn’t played enough for it to be him. That leaves Clarkson. Or maybe Brown will just cater to the matchups and vibes on any given night. Or perhaps the Knicks will just keep gobsmacking opponents so hard that an “Everybody plays!” Oprah meme becomes canon.
Whatever the case, a more prominent role for Shamet will invariably mean a reduced one for someone else.
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