Landry Shamet was officially listed for Monday’s game against the Nets with a sprained right shoulder, though it’s safe to assume further testing will paint a more complete picture of the severity of his injury — or, more importantly, the answer to whether he needs surgery.
Shamet appeared to dislocate his shoulder after catching a hard screen from Wendell Carter Jr. had absorbed in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Magic.
Afterward, Knicks coach Mike Brown said Shamet would undergo a full evaluation in the “coming days.”
And for the 28-year-old guard, a lot depends on the results.
Assuming the diagnosis is a dislocated shoulder, Shamet may opt for season-ending surgery or attempt rehab and return sooner.
Shamet dislocated his shoulder just over a year ago and opted for the non-surgical route, returning to play after a few months.
However, the decision left Shamet’s shoulder open to failure again, which appeared to happen on Saturday.
Shamet’s contract isn’t guaranteed until early January, so surgery would likely force the Knicks to waive him.
Even if Shamet goes the non-surgical route again, a long recovery would put the Knicks in a tough position.
They are short on reliable bodies and could potentially use Shamet’s spot on a free agent, or perhaps in a trade.
Mikal Bridges, who is close to Shamet, said he spoke to his buddy shortly after the injury.
“I saw him at halftime,” Bridges said. “He said everything was fine. As long as he’s doing well, his mental state is fine. He knows more than me, but he’s in good spirits.”
“Obviously we know how valuable he is,” Bridges added when asked how the team will compensate for Shamet’s absence. “But it’s the next man. The next man has to step up. A lot of guys in the locker room are ready. Just the next man, honestly.”
After Shamet’s injury, Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara played more minutes than usual.
Miles McBride, who missed Saturday’s game due to illness, was not listed on the injury report for the Brooklyn game.
#Knicks #left #bated #breath #waited #news #Landry #Shamets #injury