What are the LA Clippers Getting in Landry Shamet?

One of the pieces sent back to the LA Clippers in the Tobias Harris trade was rookie Landry Shamet. Fans of the team should be very excited about his addition.

It seemed like the LA Clippers were content to stand pat at the trade deadline. All was quiet on the LAC front, when a WOJBOMB was dropped:

Among a couple of first round picks and solid veterans in Mike Muscala and Wilson Chandler, the team picked up a rookie that Clippers fans should be very excited about in Landry Shamet.

The guy is a sniper. He’s shooting 40.5% from 3 on 4.5 attempts per game (stats per basketball-reference). His shooting from the right corner (46.4%) and above the break (38.1%) will slot in nicely with the Clippers. He’ll immediately be our third best shooter from above the break (not counting Luc Mbah a Moute, who’s only played 4 games this year). He’ll be the fifth Clipper shooting better than 45% from the right corner.

The Clippers have not shot well from the left corner, which is statistically Shamet’s best spot. He shoots 55% from that corner, which will immediately make him the best shooter from there on the Clippers. His outside scoring will be a huge plus to the Clips who are losing a couple of very good shooters in Tobias Harris and Mike Scott. Among rookie noncenters, Shamet’s shooting is notable:

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Shamet isn’t just good at shooting, he’s having an historic shooting season for a rookie. Since 1946-47, here’s the list of rookies who played at least 500 minutes, took at least 4 three pointers a game and scored more efficiently (higher TS%) than Landry Shamet:

• ….

And that’s the list. Nobody. Nil. If you lower the minutes minimum to 300, the list stays the same. If you lower the three pointers per game minimum to 3, only Brent Barry’s rookie season with the Clippers edges out Shamet’s. The kid can put the ball in the basket.

Watching Landry Shamet play is a bit like watching a young J.J. Redick. The 76ers have rim run around screens, flare to the corners and weave around big men in an effort to get an open shot. Per the NBA’s distance tracking, Shamet actually runs more distance per 36 minutes than Redick, who’s noted for constantly searching out an open look. He actually covers more ground per minute than Steph Curry and Bradley Beal, and a nearly identical amount to Buddy Hield.

Doc was great at having J.J. Redick run around the court, dodging screens and finding the perfect 3. Landry Shamet has that same tendency in Philadelphia; Clippers fans should be excited at the prospect of him stretching defenses like Redick used to.

As far as 1 on 1 defense goes, nobody has been singing Shamet’s praises as of yet. That said, at 6’5 he has the size to be at least a net neutral defender, and he has good defensive instincts, showing a knack for jumping passing lanes in Philadelphia. While he won’t be locking up a team’s number one guy, he at least has the size, instincts and hustle to pull off plays like this on both sides:

All in all, there’s much to be excited about concerning Shamet. Since the Clippers got him in his rookie year, they also have him on a rookie contract for the next 3.5 years.

Landry Shamet could be a big piece for this team for many years to come, as the Clippers try to put together a core to compete for championships.