New York Knicks sharpshooter Landry Shamet has spent the past eight seasons cultivating a reputation as a reliable contributor. He's on pace to shoot above 40.0 percent from beyond the arc for the third time and has cleared 37.5 percent in six of his years in the NBA.
For all that Shamet offers on the court, it appears to be the intangibles he displays off of it that have made him a locker room leader and a key figure in holding the Knicks accountable.
Shamet, 28, is on pace to average his most points per game since 2018-19 at 9.6 in 21.9 minutes. That alone would be worth praising, but it's his presence in the locker room that has influenced the Knicks in the most significant manner in 2025-26.
According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Shamet has been praised as a "true professional." Knicks star Jalen Brunson says that's not as common as some fans may think.
“It should be,” Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson said. “It’s not as common (as you would think). It’s more than showing up every day. If you’re doing the bare minimum, you’re not a true professional.”
Josh Hart offered a similar take on the matter, praising Shamet for his professionalism and how he's managed to hold his teammates accountable.
“People come in and they have to learn to be professionals,” Hart said. “Depending on where you get drafted to, it can take two, three or four years, especially if you don’t have a good vet. With how things are shaking out now, there’s a lot less vets on teams to hold guys accountable. It’s (rarer) now, and (Shamet) is a great example of that.”
Shamet may be held to the standard of what he does on the court by fans, general viewers, and analysts, but the Knicks seem to view his value through a different lens.
Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart praise Landry Shamet for holding Knicks accountable
Leadership in the NBA is a topic that has become more difficult to define the more visible the Association has become. It's a strange phenomenon that's resulted in many players' impact being misunderstood by those hoping to quantify their value.
What Shamet brings to the table is the type of leadership that Hart describes as dwindling, however, as he sets the tone for his teammates in the most crucial area of all: Accountability.
Athletes, like any other humans, are susceptible to the pitfalls of a lack of attention to detail. However that manifests, or whatever the cause may be, it's an inevitable outcome that we all encounter and endure at various points of our lives.
It's players like Shamet, who show up and raise the bar far above the bare minimum, who end up positively inspiring those around them to raise their own level of commitment or consistency.
Landry Shamet holds Knicks to a higher standard in every respect
For a Knicks team that's already reached the Eastern Conference Finals, having a player who can hold them accountable when they get too high or too low on themselves is essential. Despite playing in New York City, the Knicks have always been a blue collar team when things are going well.
Defensive intensity is a minimum standard for success in New York, with opposing stars looking to have their signature moment at Madison Square Garden contributing at least somewhat to that truth.
Shamet's approach to basketball has thus proven to be essential to what the Knicks have thus far achieved and hope to soon win. It certainly helps that he's burying 42.2 percent of his threes, as well as the fact that he ranks in the 57th percentile or higher in perimeter isolation defense, off-ball chaser defense, and ball screen navigation, per Basketball Index.
What Shamet offers that truly elevates the Knicks to a higher standard of performance, however, is the professionalism that his high-profile teammates openly commend.