I had this writeup done for over a month now and just never released it. Given Shamet’s great preseason play, I figured I might as well drop it for anyone interested:





Allow me to first clarify that I am a Landry Shamet homer. I wanted Shamet in the first round of the 2017 Draft had he entered, I cannot express how excited I was to hear that we had picked him up in this draft, and how sad I was to see him get injured after draining a three in his first Summer League game.

As Ilyasova and Belinelli departed, Chandler and Muscala came in free agency. While I think we've replaced the shooting of Ilyasova, I still think we're lacking in what Belinelli gave us offensively - the combination of volume of 3s at 7.2 3PA/36 and efficiency at 38.5%3PT shooting for 62.8%TS while here in Philadelphia. Belinelli could shoot it off the catch, off the dribble, off screens, when open, and definitely when contested. As evident by his 18.6ppg/36 on a 19.8USG% in Philly, the guy could not only space the floor, but simply score the ball.





While it'll take time for Shamet to develop Belinelli's level of scoring instincts and the many nuances of being a positive offensive presence at an NBA level, I think there's the potential for him to provide a lot of what Belinelli gave us in his rookie year and shock a lot of people as a valuable member of the team - at least during the regular season - as a combo guard.





This season at Wichita, Shamet shot 44.2%3PT on 7.5 3PA/40 and 82.5%FT, the numbers of a potentially elite shooter sooner rather than later. When we take a deeper look, things get better and better for Shamet's case. Not only was he a 44%3PT from the college line, but he shot just over from 40%3PT from NBA range when looking at his shot chart with 127 attempts!





Not only can Shamet become an elite shooter early in his career, but much like Belinelli he's capable of making 3s in a variety of ways. Shamet was 98th percentile on all jump shots, 99th percentile off the catch, 100th percentile on spot ups, and 93rd percentile coming off screens. He was 87th percentile working in the PnR, and 86th percentile on off-the-dribble jumpshots in the half court. He didn't use too many plays in isolation, but he's shown that he can drain perimeter shots at an incredibly high rate from a variety of spots on the floor whether that be from a standstill or on the move, off-the-catch or off-the-dribble.





Much like Belinelli, Shamet also has a knack for making contested shots making use of his size at 6'5" against opposing guards. Shamet was the 100th percentile on guarded catch-and-shoot jumpers!





This comfort for knocking down contested jumpers combined with the ability to take advantage of a wide variety of opportunities gives Shamet the potential to hold a very valuable role in our offense. Factor in that he was 90th percentile as a cutter and 79th percentile scoring around the rim in the half court, and Shamet could very quickly prove himself to be a major off-ball threat capable of also shouldering some secondary ball handling duties.





Playing PG at Wichita, Shamet boasts good court vision and a high IQ rarely turning the ball over or making mistakes averaging just 2.6topg/40 last season and 2.1topg/40 over his last two years with a strong 2.71 A:TO over that span of time. He put up 6.5apg/40 last season, a strong mark for a player who spent a lot of time off-ball, and while good production for a PG in his collegiate role, showcases what is the potential for very impressive and capable playmaking and passing ability for an NBA two-guard. Shamet's not the ball-dominant type to hunt for assists, he's a team-based ball mover who knows when to pick his spots, finds the open man, and can help everyone get their touches.





These factors come together to demonstrate how Shamet was 99th percentile in half-court offense, and while the college game is very different from the NBA, there's reason to believe that he will adjust to NBA defenses better than some might expect. Against zones Shamet was effective performing at the 74th percentile, but this is actually where he was at his worst last season. It was against man defense, what he'll face in the NBA, where Shamet truly shined coming in at the 98th percentile.





While he doesn’t project to be a positive defender by any means, there’s a good chance he’s better than Belinelli was considering that Belinelli finished last season 100th out of 107 SGs in DRPM, and if he’s worse it’s really unlikely that it’s by a notable margin. While defensive flaws may limit Shamet’s ability to contribute in the playoffs as I’m sure many will point to what happened to Marco against Boston, Belinelli’s value in the regular season as we racked up wins and moved up the seedings was unquestionable, and had he not shot 34%FG and 31%3PT in that series I think things would’ve gone very definitely regardless of the Celtics targeting him on the other end of the floor.





Shamet isn’t going to create tons of shots with the ball in his hands, and, while he may be more NBA ready than most given his proficiency against man defenses and 71 NCAA games under his belt, it will take time for him to adjust and learn the nuances and speed of the NBA game. That being said, his combination of elite and versatile shooting, court vision, and a high BBIQ could very easily lead to a valuable role in our offense this season as he helps to fill in the vacuum Marco left.