Some players ease into a new year. Landry Shamet didn’t bother with the warmup act. Two clutch threes to close out a shaky night against a shorthanded Mavericks team and a 36-point eruption earlier in the week against Miami will do that. The Knicks signed him to be a steady rotational guard, not a spark plug who steals games. Yet here he is, providing a little bit of both.
On a roster full of bigger names and bigger contracts, Shamet is quietly becoming one of New York’s most reliable bargains.
A role player who understands the assignment
Shamet didn’t arrive with hype. He arrived with tape — and the Knicks liked what they saw. After bouncing around the league and carving out a journeyman’s living, he found something of a groove last season in New York, averaging 5.7 points on .461 shooting. Nothing flashy. Just clean minutes, smart decisions and enough shooting to keep defenses honest.
That’s exactly what the Knicks were paying for with his one-year, $3 million deal. What they’re getting now feels like a bonus.
In 14 appearances this season, Shamet is averaging 9.9 points, 1.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds while shooting .452 from the field and .424 from three. Those are premium efficiency numbers for a bench guard, especially on a roster that often leans on depth to survive stretches without key players.
His timing has been perfect for a roster navigating turbulence
Mike Brown’s early weeks as the Knicks’ head coach have been a mix of experimentation and problem-solving. OG Anunoby’s hamstring issue forced the bench into heavier minutes, and the offense has gone through spurts where steady shooting becomes the difference between winning and losing.
Enter Shamet.
When the Mavericks pushed late and threatened to hand the Knicks an ugly loss, Shamet stepped in and ripped off two threes that completely changed the final minutes. Those are winning plays — not volume stats, not empty possessions, but shots that decide outcomes.
And then there was the Miami performance. Thirty-six points. A heater that came out of nowhere and buried the Heat in a 140–132 shootout. It was the kind of night that reminds everyone why teams keep giving Shamet opportunities: when he runs hot, he can tilt a game on his own.
A bench piece growing into a trusted option
Shamet isn’t going to become a starter, nor do the Knicks need him to. They just need a player who competes every night, shoots with confidence and fills gaps without overextending himself. He’s doing that and more.
Brown trusts him in late-game situations. Teammates look for him when the offense bogs down. And when the Knicks need a jolt, Shamet has been one of the few bench players delivering it consistently.
For a team that has championship aspirations but stretches of uneven play, having an inexpensive guard who hits pressure shots can be the difference between stumbling through the middle of the season and stringing together meaningful wins.
A small signing paying big dividends
The Knicks didn’t need a headline when they signed Shamet. They needed competence. They needed shooting. They needed someone who wouldn’t shrink in tight moments.
They got all of that, plus a few unexpected fireworks.
If this version of Shamet sticks around deep into the season, the Knicks may look back at this signing as one of the quiet moves that made everything else work.