No. 2: Landry Shamet
Landry Shamet was already good before he came to the Los Angeles via the Tobias Harris trade. In 54 games with Philadelphia, Shamet scored quickly and efficiently off the bench, recording 8.3 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting from three-point range.
He improved upon those numbers once he came to the LA Clippers, scoring 10.9 points per game while shooting 45.0 percent from deep in 25 games. He was hounded in the postseason by the Golden State Warriors’ perimeter defenders, but even still, the 22-year-old rookie showed plenty of promise.
Now, with more shooters by his side and a potential spot in the starting rotation, Shamet could be one of the league’s most improved players in 2019-2020.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both excellent three-point shooters, and given their ability to score from anywhere on the court, they’ll draw much more attention from defenses than Shamet will. That should open up the floor even more for the young shooting guard, who connected on 46.4 percent of wide open three-pointers last season.
Couple that with his ability to score at the rim, and you’ve got a quick, heady guard that will always take (and usually make) the best shot possible. He’ll be a valuable piece to put alongside Leonard and George, and given the spotlight they’ll draw, Shamet will get plenty more exposure as well.
There’s also a chance that Shamet runs the offense this season, as there have been rumors that he could see more on-ball action in 2019-2020. After all, he played point guard in college, and averaged 5.2 assists per game in his final season at Wichita State. Assuming he takes on that role, he could help set up one of the league’s most efficient offenses.
Regardless of what position Shamet plays, though, he appears ready to make a significant jump in his sophomore season.