In recent years, the Philadelphia 76ers have struggled drafting late first-round talent. Ranging from Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot to Furkan Korkmaz, the team hasn’t had much success. Thankfully, Landry Shamet appears to be breaking that trend.
When the interim-GM Brett Brown choose Landry Shamet 26th overall for the Philadelphia 76ers, there was a sense of confusion and even disappointment among some fans as he wasn’t a well-known name. The confusion made sense, as most draft boards had him going somewhere in the second round.
Over time, Shamet has proved himself to fans and the team, as he looks to be a valuable contributor going forward.
Over the past 10+ games, Landry Shamet has been a very productive rotation piece for the team. Not many young players get playing time when they are picked late into the draft, but Brett Brown has chosen to give Shamet nearly 20 minutes a night.
Shamet has thrived when given minutes, and has provided much-needed floor spacing for when shooters like J.J. Redick and Robert Covington need to rest.
There was some panic when Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova left the team. A ton of people wondered how the Sixers were going to replace their production. Landry Shamet has filled the rift left by Belinelli, and has arguably done a better job.
While Shamet will never be an elite defender, he has been an average one thus far into the season. He was known to have a high basketball I.Q., and has shown that. He doesn’t take bad shots, and he’s a much better passer and overall playmaker than Belinelli was.
Landry Shamet has put up solid numbers into the young season, averaging 7.5 points per contest and shooting 38 percent from three. It’s both exciting and important to remember that Landry Shamet will continue to grow and improve on what he already is.
Landry Shamet has publicly stated that J.J. Redick is incredibly close with him, even going as far as requesting to sit together on the plane.
This is a very positive thing to see, as him and Redick are incredibly similar players. Redick can teach him a lot about being an off-ball shooter, as he is one of the best in the league at off-ball movement.
Landry Shamet is looking like the steal of the 2018 NBA Draft. He is arguably the only rookie outside of the lottery range who looks ready to produce in the present.
Shamet has the potential to be a massive piece for the Sixers going forward, and the Philadelphia 76ers’ front office deserves a lot of credit and drafting him.
