Landry Shamet Struggles Continue into Playoffs
Throughout most of the regular season, Landry Shamet’s performance on a minimal contract was among the best in the league. However, recently, he seems to have reverted back to what you might expect from a player making the minimum.
His rough finish to the regular season has carried over into the playoffs. In the opening two games of the first-round series against the Hawks, which is currently tied 1-1, he managed to hit just 1 of 6 three-point attempts and 1 of 7 overall.
During Monday’s tight Game 2 loss, where the Knicks fell 107-106, Shamet didn’t score at all and the team was down by six while he was on the floor for 10 minutes.
Things have reached a point where coach Mike Brown decided to play Jose Alvarado, who seemed to be out of favor in the playoff rotations, more than Shamet during crucial moments of the game.
Shamet’s shooting slump is persistent. Over the final 16 games in March, he shot only 30.4 percent from beyond the arc, missing five contests due to a knee issue. But earlier in the season, he had a solid 42.9 percent from three across 35 games up to March.
One notable challenge for the Knicks is their lack of a backup point guard behind Jalen Brunson. Brown indicated both Shamet and Miles McBride are capable options, yet neither truly fits the mold of a natural point guard, and both have struggled recently.
They brought in Alvarado before the trade deadline, but despite a strong start, he hasn’t shown he can effectively fill the role.
There was even a time earlier in the season when Tyler Kolek appeared to have earned a consistent spot, but now he’s out of the rotation.
Through the first two playoff games, Shamet and McBride have shared the court for only 23 minutes combined. The Knicks currently find themselves with a net rating of -1.9.
If these issues persist or worsen, the depth of the Knicks’ bench could become a real concern.
Meanwhile, CJ McCollum isn’t viewing himself as a villain despite facing boos and verbal attacks from the MSG crowd. His teammates, however, believe he might actually welcome that energy.
“C.J., that got him fired up,” Jonathan Kuminga shared after Game 2. “I think he enjoyed it. The crowd shouldn’t really do that or say that. I think that really motivated him and it motivated all of us. Just the energy.”
