Landry Shamet's Revival Changes Everything for the Knicks

Playing, by far, his most minutes of the postseason (26:20), Shamet scored 15 points while shooting 5-of-6 (83.3%) from the floor and 2-of-3 (66.7%) from the three-point line. For reference, he scored 14 total points in his eight previous outings. He also added a trio of rebounds and a steal, often being unafraid to get physical to give his teammates a spark.

Assuming that the rejuvenated Shamet is here to stay, the Knicks should be excited about what's to come.

Knicks should be excited if the old Landry Shamet is back

Shamet's slow start to the postseason had Knicks fans wondering if the Monstars from Space Jam had stolen his talents. He averaged 9.3 points on .437/.392/.711 splits across 51 regular-season games (23 minutes per night) and was even trusted to help end games when a starter like Mikal Bridges was having an off night.

Once one of head coach Mike Brown's most trusted bench players, the former Wichita State Shocker fell out of favor after averaging only 1.8 points with a 27.8 FG% and 28.6 3P% in his first eight playoff games. Shamet played 10 or fewer minutes in five of the seven games between Game 2 of the Hawks series and the second encounter with the 76ers, showing how much of an afterthought he became.

Anunoby's absence opened the door for Shamet to take some of his minutes in Game 3, and it's safe to say that he didn't disappoint.

On top of a 15-point performance, Shamet's defensive value was on full display.

Miles McBride initially covered Paul George to start the game, and while he demonstrated some hustle, his smaller frame (6'2") made that assignment difficult at times. The 76ers' star finished the first quarter with 15 points and a 66.7 FG%. Things changed in the second quarter when Shamet subbed in and covered George in the second quarter, holding him scoreless through that frame. Shamet was a plus-six to end the quarter, while George was a team-worst minus-13.

Shamet's rediscovery of confidence also makes the Knicks' bench more dangerous. New York's backups are averaging 30.3 PPG this postseason, which is eighth-best overall and only fifth-best among the active teams. It's great when the starters are rolling, but a reliable supporting cast is needed. Shamet can help give the Knicks that if he can build on his latest effort.

After all, another strong bench performance could deal a knockout blow to the 76ers. Their starters aren't playing well in this series, and their bench isn't performing under the spotlight, either. Philadelphia's reserves scored 11 points in Game 3 (aka Shamet outplayed them on his own) and are averaging 12.7 PPG this spring (15th).

Winning takes a team effort in basketball. The Knicks won't live or die by one player. At the same time, Shamet's elevated effort was exactly what New York needed, even if Anunoby would've played Game 3. He can be a sparkplug off the bench or a shutdown defender in the close-out minutes of a game, and that was missing from Brown's lineup for the better part of the playoffs so far.

Hopefully, Friday night's effort was a sign of even better things to come. Another standout performance on Sunday would not only help the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference Finals again, but it'd likely go a long way to helping Shamet secure another contract when free agency begins this summer.