LANDRY Shamet

The Knicks lost to Philadelphia on October 20, and Shamet finished with 5 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in 24.5 minutes. The 4 assists stand out, since he averaged 1.4 assists per game last season. His plus-minus of 11.0 was a positive mark in a game New York lost. Five days earlier, in the win over Toronto on October 15, he scored 13 points with 2 rebounds and 3 assists in 24.2 minutes and posted a plus-minus of 14.0. Before that came a quiet 2-point night in 12.1 minutes in the loss to Minnesota on October 12, and 13 points in 15.8 minutes in the loss to Washington on October 8. He opened the stretch with 10 points in 11.3 minutes against Philadelphia on October 5.

Last season Shamet played 51 games for the Knicks and averaged 23.0 minutes. He scored 9.3 points per game with 1.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks. He turned the ball over just 0.6 times per game on a 15.1 usage rate, which is the profile of a low-mistake shooter who does not need the ball. He shot 43.7 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from three and 71.1 percent from the line, good for a 59.8 true shooting percentage. His plus-minus of 3.7 last season was positive. Those are the numbers New York signed up for: efficient spacing from a guard who knows his role and rarely forces anything.

Shamet's last five games before this season all came against San Antonio in early June. He scored 13 points in 33.3 minutes on June 3 and 13 points again in 30.2 minutes on June 5, both Knicks wins. The minutes dropped after that. He went 3 points in 23.4 minutes in the June 8 loss, then 0 points with 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 20.5 minutes on June 10 and 5 points in 13.2 minutes on June 13, both wins. His plus-minus was negative in four of those five games, including -20.0 on June 8. That run is a reminder that his value swings with his shot. When the threes fall, as they did on June 3 and June 5, he stays on the floor longer.

Shamet's name has come up in recent Knicks notes. A report dated October 19 grouped him with Drummond, M. Brown and B. Brown in a Knicks Notes roundup. An earlier Knicks Notes item on October 11 covered Brown, Towns, Bridges and Brunson. Back on September 17, a Community Shootaround discussed the battle for Knicks roster spots. None of these items describe a completed move involving Shamet. They are rumor-page notes, not transactions. For now, the only hard fact is that he is on the roster, healthy and getting rotation minutes, and he has been productive in the time he has received.