Draft Sleepers: Landry Shamet
An in depth look at some players who aren’t receiving the hype but still deserve your attention.
This is part of a series where we will take a look at some prospects who could fit the sleeper role in this year’s draft class. These guys won’t cause a huge stir with fan bases if, and when, they hear their name called on draft night, but they could bring far more value than expected in the long run.
Check back with our previous sleeper picks, in case you missed it:
Landry Shamet
Pros
- Perimeter Shooting
- High Basketball IQ
- Offensive Polish
Cons
- Limited Athlete
- Below Average Physical Tools
- Defensive Impact
Landry Shamet may have facial hair like a movie villain, but I assure you that both his game and intentions are pure.
The 6-foot-4, 180 pound point guard has a savvy and a craftiness to his game that allows him to flourish against more athletic defenders. He relies on a polished skill set and a high IQ to make an impact over brute strength and explosiveness. In fact, if he was a villain, he would certainly be a more behind the scenes type that gets by on deception over raw power — more of a Cersei Lannister than a Thanos, you might say.
Shamet wields a well-rounded skill set instead of a gauntlet but one skill stands out above the rest, his perimeter shooting. He shot 44% from three-point territory last season (43% in the year prior) which was good for 13th overall in the country. He is able to shoot effectively off the catch as he gets his feet set quickly and although he could use some more arc, he has very little wasted motion in his shot. What makes him a well-rounded shooter is his ability to pull up off the bounce. His pull-up dribble is quick and efficient as he gets the ball right to his shooting pocket and then fires away. Whether he is navigating a ball screen or relocating on the wing, Shamet is a deep shooting threat at all times.
The sharp-shooting 21-year old prospect won’t just hang around the perimeter, though. His offensive polish allows him to be a capable three-level-scorer with a variety of pull ups, floaters and crafty finishes around the rim. Although he lacks burst off the bounce he can get by his man with his change of pace and series of hesitation moves. He is able to get more paint touches than you would expect with his triple threat game of deceptive jabs and up fakes.
Shamet possesses good court vision and a strong feel for facilitating an offense. He does a great job of reading the defense to find open teammates which is why he averaged 5.2 assists to 2.1 turnovers last season. He plays aggressively but under control and just like ordering double chicken at Chipotle — he makes good choices.
Shamet is very effective in ball screen scenarios thanks to his high basketball IQ and offensive versatility. His skill set allows him to take advantage of scoring opportunities anywhere on the floor and his court vision shows him which option to take advantage of. As a defender, you have to work twice as hard once he passes because he moves very well without the ball. Shamet makes scoring cuts to the rim and stays active coming off screens on the perimeter. He has a great feel for the game.
So why is Landry being projected as low as 50th overall in the latest ESPN mock draft?
Let’s take a look at the negative side of things, or as I like to call it, The-After-The-Honeymoon scouting report. This is the time of a relationship where you start to ask yourself how you missed the signs. How can anybody watch this many episodes of “My 600lb Life”? Is “Friends” really that funny? How many times can they actually “Love It or List It”? I digress.
Shamet may have better choices in television shows but he does have a few red flags. The biggest of all being his limited athleticism. Part of his allure as a prospect is his ability to create off the bounce both for himself and for others. However, there is some concern as to if he can do that consistently or not at the pro level. Although he did post a 39.5 inch vertical at the NBA Combine, he lacks great burst or speed with his ball moves and he’s not the most physical of guards, either. He tends to get bumped off his lane when attacking stronger defenders. It will be a tough test for him as a pro to see if he can create nightly against more gifted athletes.
The same concerns come up on the defensive side of the ball. Can he defend at the pro level?
While he does have good size for his position, he has a shockingly small wingspan (6-foot-6.75) for his height giving him a back up option of working as a T-Rex impersonator. The effort is there and he moves his feet at a decent rate but the impact is minimal both in the stat sheet (0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks) and overall. He can struggle to keep quicker guards in front and will not be able to hide on an easy match up once he gets to the league.
His draft stock is hurt by the unknown. If he can’t create at a consistent level on the offensive side of the ball, and doesn’t offer much versatility or upside on the defensive end, then what is his real value?
Worth The Risk?
People are split on Landry Shamet, depending on who you ask. He is being projected from a mid-first to a late second and everything in between.
Like any prospect, there are concerns about his game; questions that can only be answered once he’s competing against NBA competition. So what we need to ask is, what parts of his game are we confident will translate?
The safe bet is his shooting. Shamet will provide floor spacing and make scrambling defenses pay for leaving him open. Shooting over 40% from the perimeter in back to back seasons is no fluke. He should be an immediate catch and shoot threat once he steps on the floor in summer league.
Another part of his game that won’t disappear overnight is his court vision. He may not be able to create off the bounce as a number one option in the pros but he should be able to fill a game manager like role who can initiate an offense, help spread the floor and add an occasional offensive boost.
His outlook could be very similar to former Wichita State alum Fred VanVleet, who didn’t hear his name called in the 2016 NBA Draft but has since earned a productive role for the Toronto Raptors. VanVleet, much like Shamet, is not an elite athlete but has proven to be a capable NBA guard on a winning franchise thanks to his skill set and high IQ.
I believe Shamet will fall on draft night because he lacks the upside and potential of other prospects. His lack of athleticism and defensive versatility hurt him without question, but sometimes GMs can make the mistake of reaching for something that may be instead of snatching up what already is. His polished skill set and savvy decisions with the ball give him a shot to earn a contributing role on a good team. Every franchise can use perimeter players that can shoot the ball at a high rate and make good decisions on the floor and that’s what Shamet does best.
Shamet is a bit of a wild card in terms of his projected draft slot. If he falls to the second round he could spend the next few years surpassing other players drafted ahead of him who are slowly losing the “upside” label that hasn’t materialized into actual production. He doesn’t have a flashy name that will get fan bases showing off their Fortnite dance moves on draft night, but he very well could be a long time contributor for the team willing to give him a chance.
Statistics courtesy of www.nba.com and www.espn.com.