CLEVELAND — The ascension of Landry Shamet, whose recovery from a shoulder injury has gone about as well as the Knicks could’ve hoped, has translated to a decreased role for Mikal Bridges.
Especially in the past month.
Ahead of Tuesday’s showdown against the Cavaliers — and after coach Mike Brown explained that utilizing Shamet, among other reserves, will result in diminished opportunities for the starters — Bridges agreed that “sacrifice” is now part of the gig.
“I think it’s for everybody. Me as well,” Bridges said. “You’ve just got to sacrifice, find your moments and play the right way.”
Brown has shown a willingness to ride with Shamet at the two-guard spot, including down the stretch of close contests, which has resulted in Bridges sitting for most of the fourth quarters in three games this month. Bridges’ overall minutes, shot attempts and fourth-quarter minutes were down in the 15 games before Tuesday.
Shamet’s were up as he provided the coach with reliable defense and elite 3-point shooting at a 42-percent clip.
“Ball has gone in,” Shamet said. “I’m trying to play basketball, man. It’s fun. The system is great.”
Brown noted that starters’ minutes are down across the board as he incorporates a more talented bench than last season — with Mitchell Robinson being more available than last season, Jose Alvarado’s acquisition at the trade deadline and Shamet’s rise to two-way consistency.
“When you start going down the line, you see guys are playing well, you’re going to try to find ways to get them in the game,” Brown said. “When you try to find ways to get them in the game, it’s going to be less minutes for other guys.
“So it’s a fine balance — I’ve said this about Landry, he had 23 [minutes in Sunday’s win over the Bulls]. So it’s great if I can keep him at 23. But I’m not always going to keep him at 23. He played 23. Mikal played 30. So it’s give and take where if somebody is playing well, we’ll try to keep them on the floor, but that might mean others will see their field goal attempts and their minutes may go down because they’re not on the floor as much.”
This change was expected for Josh Hart. It’s more surprising with Bridges, who was acquired for five first-round picks and signed a $150 million contract extension in the summer — right after he led the NBA in total minutes and was second per game at 37. But it would also be hypocritical for Bridges to complain. Toward the end of last season, Bridges famously lobbied for fewer minutes while calling out Tom Thibodeau for not trusting the reserves.
Shamet was part of that bench last season, but never got the opportunity he’s capitalizing on under Brown. His 3-point efficiency is 10th in the NBA among players with at least 174 attempts. It’s impressive after his shoulder was dislocated again in November, requiring a nearly two-month recovery.
And in the past 10 games before Tuesday, he was averaging over 27 minutes.
“I just want to play basketball, man. When you’re hurt, you’re not in a position where you can compete and play. So at the end of the day, I’m just happy I’m able to compete and play,” said Shamet, who had to earn a roster spot in training camp after signing a nonguaranteed deal. “It’s fun. It’s a really fun group to play with. The constant pursuit of trying to get better and grow collectively, that’s something I enjoy. It’s cool to be a part of it.”
Bridges said he’s happy for Shamet, too, even if it means he has to sacrifice.
“Landry’s so good, plays the game the right way,” Bridges said. “I know he’s been dealing with the shoulder stuff for some time. Just happy he’s healthy and playing, because this is how he plays when he’s healthy.”
