New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau goes out of his way to praise one player.
The New York Knicks continue to march forward in great fashion during the 2024-25 NBA season. After a solid 112-98 win over the Toronto Raptors, the Knicks are now 25-13 for the season.
Speaking of things off the court, the Knicks recently bolstered their bench after awarding a one-year deal to Landry Shamet.
Shamet dislocated his shoulder during the preseason. But instead of opting in for surgery, the veteran sharpshooter earned the Knicks’ trust with rehab and excellent performances in the G League.
The Knicks have an excellent starting lineup and the way they have been playing, it doesn’t make sense to make any changes to it.
However, there was still room for improvement in the second unit, and the Knicks brought Shamet to tackle that gap. After seeing Shamet for a few games, head coach Tom Thibodeau has nothing but praise for the 27-year-old.
“He makes the extra pass, he reads the floor well, he hustles on defense, he blocks out… there’s a lot of things he does that aren’t necessarily reflected in statistics but they help the team function well,” coach Thibs said.
As coach Thibs said, stats aren’t everything to be a good player in the NBA. It feels like Shamet is the perfect role player for the 2024-25 Knicks.
It’s no surprise that Thibodeau was a huge reason why the Knicks re-signed Shamet in the first place. The 27-year-old has averaged 3.4 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists over nine games for the franchise.
There are no doubts about the quality of the Knicks’ starting lineup. The likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson can take over a game on any given night.
However, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith recently pointed out that the Knicks lack depth. But Shamet’s signing should provide some relief to the organization in that department.
The Knicks are currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference and if they still feel like there is room for improvement, they can always scan the open market to bolster their bench.
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