Rookies Shine But Shamet Goes Down

We have entered a new, vibrant era of Knicks basketball...

Final Score: Knicks 111 - Hornets 105
Record 4-0

There had been plenty to get excited about over the Knicks' first few preseason contests and through the first half of Tuesday's contest as well, even with the Knicks sitting their starters. Yet arguably, the most important takeaway was that New York had not lost a player to injury.

Unfortunately, that good fortune ended in the second half last night as shooting guard Landry Shamet suffered what appeared to be a significant shoulder injury.

Yet, before we get to the dispiriting injury situation and discuss the potential fallout, let's recap the Knicks' victory over Charlotte at MSG. 

Coach Tom Thibodeau spoke with the media 90 minutes before tip-off on Tuesday and announced he would sit all five starters. With Opening Night of the 2024-25 season just a week away, the coaching staff decided to give the regulars some rest. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns were given the night off. 

This meant New York's rookies and reserves would have an opportunity to impress. And they did just that. 

Starting at power forward, Precious Achiuwa led the way for New York, racking up a team-high 20 points (8-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), a game-high 16 rebounds, three assists, and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes. Although there are some question marks regarding the Knicks' depth following the trade for Towns, Precious has proven he can contribute on both ends.

The two made treys by Precious were particularly interesting. When New York first traded for him last season, I was curious to see if Achiuwa would look to let it fly from deep. In his first full season with the Raptors back in 2021-22, Precious attempted 2.1 three-pointers per game and shot a career-high 35.9% from behind the arc. However, he's been woefully inefficient from downtown since the start of the 2023-23 season, converting just 55 of his 205 triple tries (26.8%). 

Still, we shouldn't have been surprised by Achiuwa's impressive production vs. Charlotte. Remember, after both Julius Randle and OG Anunoby went down last January (joining an already injured Mitchell Robinson on the sidelines), Achiuwa was shoved into the starting lineup and found himself logging significant minutes for a contender as they made their push toward the playoffs. Over the subsequent six weeks, Achiuwa would start 18 straight games and help the Knicks keep their heads above water as they waited for the rest of the roster to get healthy. During that 18-game sample size, Achiuwa averaged 12.5 points (on 52.6% shooting), 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks in 36.5 minutes a night. 

Having a reliable backup big on a $6 million contract is a nice luxury.