PORTLAND — It’s not something he dwells on, but Landry Shamet agrees that his strong health is validation for not getting surgery.
“Yeah, knock on wood. I’m in a good spot,” Shamet said before he scored six points in 20 minutes in the Knicks’ 114-113 buzzer-beating win over the Trail Blazers on Wednesday night at Moda Center. “I attacked the rehab, took it very seriously. Frankly, that’s not much of a thought I have. I feel good, I’m in a good spot.”
Shamet played a season high in minutes (24) and scored a season high in points (13) in Monday’s blowout win over the Kings.
The performance occurred about five months after he dislocated his shoulder but opted for rehab instead of going under the knife.
The surgery option would’ve ended Shamet’s season but offered greater odds of a full recovery without a setback.
He took the less certain health path — which also meant the Knicks re-signed him in December.
It was rocky for a bit, with Shamet going in-and-out of the rotation.
But he’s rediscovered the 3-point shot, hitting 44.8 percent of the time in the previous 13 games, before missing his only attempt Wednesday.
There’s also a trickle-down opportunity with the injury to Jalen Brunson, thrusting Miles McBride into the starting lineup and Shamet as one of just two guards off the bench.
“You have to be prepared for all scenarios, especially if you’re thinking about the postseason,” Shamet said. “So when you lose a vital piece, how do you find solutions and figure things out? And I think that’s the opportunity in this situation we have right now. Obviously he’s an amazing player, and we rely on him heavily to take care of us in a lot of ways. So this is a good opportunity to try to find wins and figure things out without the guy who is facilitating our offense.
“I think all of us collectively are gearing up for this last stretch. There’s been a heightened sense of urgency from all of us to get going. So kind of knowing what we have coming down the stretch, getting some things cleaned up and just trying do whatever— all of us do what’s asked of us to put us in a good situation.”
Lack of production/opportunities from the Knicks bench has been a theme all season, and it took center stage Wednesday with Mikal Bridges saying he talked to coach Tom Thibodeau about reducing the starters’ minutes.
Shamet said the narratives about the reserves is not something he’s concerned about.
“We don’t really take into that account. Deuce [McBride] might get five 3s up one night, he might get two up one night. I might get two up, I might get zero,” Shamet said. “Things change, so we got to be OK with that, and we all are. I think that should be more of an identity conversation than the other stuff.”
The Blazers were the only team the Knicks hadn’t played this season, before their matchup Wednesday night at the Moda Center.
Portland is now on a five-game losing streak and has a 28-39 record. They are now 16-16 at home.
