The New York Knicks just punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time this century, and Landry Shamet, the man who was trapped in the dog house during last year's ill-fated postseason run, proved himself to be one of the most influential figures en route to clinching such a feat.
New York's decision to can former head coach Tom Thibodeau after having just brought the team to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years, and then replace him with the likes of Mike Brown, came as quite a shock at the time.
However, 10 months later, all signs now clearly point to it having been the move this Knicks team desperately needed to get over the hump.
The way Brown used his roster's depth is what truly stands in contrast to his predecessor's approach, with Shamet's heroics this postseason serving as the unquestioned highlight.
Landry Shamet rose from end of bench to playoff X-factor for Knicks
Shamet is certainly no stranger to inconsistent playing time.
Even aside from his polarizing time with Thibodeau last year, throughout this regular season, and at times in the playoffs, the veteran's role in the Knicks' rotation seemed to range from 15-plus minutes to multiple months' worth of DNPs.
Despite the uncertainty, however, Shamet remained ready for whenever his number was called.
This kind of mental toughness paid off big for the Knicks this postseason, especially in the second half of their round-two bout against the 76ers and in the conference finals.
After logging multiple single-digit performances over the first eight games of the playoffs, Shamet has gone on an absolute tear from Game 3 of the semifinals on, posting averages of 11.0 points on an insane 81.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
His 91.7 percent success rate from distance in round three is officially the best long-range clip recorded in a single playoff series in league history.
Along this stretch, he's ranked eighth among all eligible NBA players in offensive rating (130.2), fifth in plus-minus (14.3), and fourth in net rating (37.8).
From his lockdown defense (held opponents to 39.7 percent shooting from the floor and 25.9 percent shooting from deep) to his sensational offensive showings with highlights including the game-tying triple late in their epic come-from-behind Game 1 win over Cleveland and a tremendous 16-point performance in Monday's Finals-clinching win, Shamet is right up there in the conversation for biggest influencers on New York's tremendous playoff success.
His rise from the ashes cannot go unnoticed!
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