Phoenix Suns Young Core Ranked by Ceiling: Landry Shamet
Set to play for this fourth team despite having only experienced three NBA seasons, Landry Shamet must hope to find a permanent home here with the Suns. As a combo guard able to handle the rock yet also shoot at a high volume, the former Wichita State Shocker remains an incredibly versatile and pluggable product.
But going forward, consistency remains the most important thing for Shamet to work on. With the Nets last year, he went through several ugly shooting spells, making him an easily bench-able player given his established niche as a dead-eye shooter.
Still though, when Shamet comes out hot from deep, he often alters a game within a moment’s notice. He also carries some sneaky athleticism, and distributes the ball moderately well.
https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1383873837356359689?s=20
But Shamet hits his ceiling before all other players within Phoenix’s young core due to his defense.
With a six-foot-four and 190 pound frame, he already lacks the physical tools to operate as an above average defender. Last year, he allowed the fourth highest opponent field goal percentage on a Nets team that already struggled at the defensive end to begin with.
It was Shamet’s inability to defend well that kept him from starting any of Brooklyn’s final three playoff contests against the Milwaukee Bucks, even a knocked out Kyrie Irving and one-legged James Harden.
However, if Shamet sticks to what he knows and continues to polish his offensive game, a very bright future as a solid borderline starting guard lies ahead him.