Phoenix Suns: Landry Shamet’s new familial ties should help his production

Landry Shamet will be the first to tell you that his first season with the Phoenix Suns was not up to his own high standards. The 25-year-old combo guard shot 36.8% from three in 2021-22, despite being known as a lethal shooter and someone capable of nearing 40%.

His comments from Suns media day should quell the worry of at least a few fans. He claims that last season’s slump was partially due to the shock of reconnecting with his estranged father and the siblings he never knew.

Now focusing firmly on basketball, Phoenix Suns guard Landry Shamet is hoping to produce more than he did in his first year with the franchise.

In an interview with Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic, Shamet shared the major off-court situation that impacted his first season in Phoenix following an offseason trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

"“So truthfully, a lot of the time last year, my mind stepping into games, it wasn’t all on basketball. I feel like I’m in a spot now where it can be because this whole summer, I was with family all summer.”"

If those words are true then Phoenix may very well be in store for the best basketball of his young career. Shamet was not only making up for lost time with his father, but he was also learning the ropes of how to be a big brother. Those lessons will be important to him as a basketball player.

Shamet would have felt a duty towards his younger siblings, and that same courage could translate to the court. He could have decided that allowing younger siblings into his life would have caused family drama, denying them a bond with their brother. Instead, the 25-year-old made an extremely mature and family oriented decision.

This speaks volumes to his maturity and responsibility. There is no reason to think those qualities won’t translate, and Suns fans should look forward to Shamet making a leap forward as a leader this year, especially given he could be the first guard off the bench.

The 40-point slapdown handed by the Dallas Mavericks could still be hovering as a dark cloud over many players, but it appears Shamet was able to focus on something else and forget about basketball. That takes strength, going through such an embarrassing moment and then to put that on hold because life must move on. It’s a cliche, but it’s true. Life must go on.

The best case scenario for Shamet next year is developing into a valuable glue guy. He’s a good but not supreme athlete, while his size doesn’t blow you away either. The path to a long NBA career for Shamet is paved with consistent shooting, tough defense and maximizing the talents of his teammates.

The struggles of Shamet can be best described in two prongs. First you have the misuse of a very limited NBA player, then you also have the terrible luck of not receiving a lot of run time with the team’s top floor general.

His best basketball was undoubtedly in a Clippers jersey where he was mostly used as a spot up shooter. The Nets and the Suns both have tried to put him in a similar role, but why have the results been so drastically different?

Shamet’s struggles last season can be related to how much pressure Monty Williams was placing on him; he was asked to be a shooter, an occasional playmaker, and to step up defensively. He has to be knocking down shots to be effective, that much is obvious. But putting the ball into his hands and expecting him to produce is just wishful thinking.

It would be remiss not to mention that Shamet was sidelined for 13 games, which may have actually been a blessing in disguise. When he returned it seemed like a switch had gone off, he was being aggressive and looking for his shots all over the floor. That player we saw back in March is a winning player. Phoenix need that guy back.

What’s the best we can hope for from Shamet headed into the 2022-23 season? Averaging over 10 points a night would be a good result. He’s the most talented guard on the Suns bench, so he should be looking to establish himself as the sixth man with Cameron Johnson’s inclusion into the starting lineup.

Giving much more consistent effort defensively will be important. Even if he lacks the lateral quickness needed to be a lockdown defender, he still needs to greatly improve his effort. His efficiency is key and returning to a 40% three-point shooter will be vital. If Shamet can’t prove himself as a prominent floor spacer, then he could see his minutes disappear to Duane Washington Jr and Damion Lee. While he’ll continue to improve other aspects of his game, shooting will always be his bread and butter.