The RoundHouse | 6/19/2018 3:35:00 PM
By Paul Suellentrop
Landry Shamet's jump shot will get him into the NBA on Thursday. Making three-pointers is the NBA's most valued skill and Shamet's shot is irresistible because of its quick release, smooth, consistent form and track record of success.
And no chicken wing.
Dennis Shamet is Landry Shamet's grandfather and roots shot doctor for one of Wichita State's greatest shooters. In Dennis Shamet's memory, he told his three-year-old grandson to tighten up his form and the baskets soon followed.
"Always keep your elbow underneath the ball," Dennis Shamet said. "He, from that day on, never did the chicken wing thing. That impressed me. Quick learner."
Landry Shamet said, "I remember when that happened and I know that he loves telling that story. Always telling me not to shoot with two hands . . . and get your elbow underneath."
On Thursday, an NBA team is likely to draft that jump shot with the intention of making it into an efficient, floor-spacing weapon. Shamet made 159 of 364 three-pointers in 71 games at Wichita State and that 43.7 percent accuracy ranks second in program history. His true shooting percentage (which measure efficiency by including free throws and all field goals) of 65.5 percent ranked No. 30 nationally.
"Excellent spot-up shooter with good form, NBA range, and a quick release," wrote The Ringer in its draft preview. "Skilled shooter off screens due to his feel for moving without the ball and his great footwork shooting off-balance."
NBA mock drafts differ on Shamet's landing spot. The consensus puts him late in the first round (for example, No. 27 to Boston at nbadraft.net) or in the second round (the Ringer sends him to Minnesota at No. 48). He has a chance to become the first Shocker taken in the first round since Seattle grabbed Xavier McDaniel in 1985. He is expected to join former Shockers Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet in the NBA next season, adding to the list of coach Gregg Marshall recruits who thrived in Koch Arena and out-performed expectations to land in the Association.
Shamet (6-foot-5, 190 pounds) spend the past months working out in Los Angeles and traveling to 11 workouts – Phoenix, Philadelphia, Golden State, Atlanta, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando, Indiana, New Jersey, Dallas, Portland and Utah. Most of those teams own picks late in the first round.
"I've felt really good about all of them," Shamet said on Sunday afternoon, before he worked out for Philadelphia on Tuesday. "I've been pretty even-keeled and consistent. I think that's important to be good on a day to day basis."
He practiced with De'Aaron Fox, the former Kentucky star who now plays for the Sacramento Kings. He played pickup games at UCLA with former NBA players such as Stephen Jackson, Glen Davis and Chris Copeland. Shamet and former Missouri State star Alize Johnson became good friends this summer and Shamet considers Johnson a potential steal in the draft who will help a team with his hustle and versatility.
"The biggest question mark about me is the defensive end," Shamet said. "I'm guarding (Fox) every day and that's about as quick as they come in the NBA. In the NBA, you're almost on your own on ball screens and isolations. It's using your mind a little more, being smarter. Knowing how to guard guys."
Shamet is appealing because he can play both guard positions (his assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.64 ranks second in Shocker history), he defends and his preparation and smarts are unquestioned.
Those who knew him back then saw it coming.
Darin Mason, who worked with Shamet on his shooting during his days with the KC Pumas basketball club, said he expected genetics to provide height between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-10. The skills and work ethic popped as a youngster.
"We got him at the end of fourth grade," Mason said. "He just had the 'It' factor. He was aggressive, assertive, athletic, coachable. So cerebral. He could take information and apply and master it. He was such a listener.
"From Day One, I told his mother (Melanie) that we were going to make him a combo (guard). If he did get to 6-2, he was going to have to be a point guard. If he got to 6-5, he was going to be a good two guard. If he got taller than that, and he had all that skill, then he's going to do whatever the heck he wants to do."
Tyler Shamet, Landry's uncle, remembers shooting baskets on cold February days on the hoop in their cul-de-sac in Kansas City.
"He always had the ball in his hands," Tyler Shamet said. "He was always driven. He always had that natural ability to shoot."
The shot always stood out, both for his devotion to developing the skill and for its effectiveness. When fans watched Shamet warm up with shots close to the basket and work his way to the three-point line, they watched the process that got him to this point.
"I would tell him to get his elbow and wrist at a right angle," Mason said. "He would spend hours on his right-angle release. Build muscle memory. Over and over again."
If Mason told him to work on his balance, he worked on balance and came back the next practice ready for another lesson. Shamet worked on his form from age-appropriate distance until he grew strong enough to shoot - not fling, heave or chuck - farther away from the rim.
"Most kids wouldn't have the patience to do that," Mason said. "He worked his way out on his form. Eventually, his form shot was outside the NBA three (-point line)."
Mason required him to drill against bigger athletes to develop the quick release and economy of movement that is a trademark of the shot. The release point, both men say, is the key to success. When it's locked in and creating proper arch, the shot is usually on target. If it slips, they can work together on a fix.
When Shamet endured a slump in late January, Mason watched and talked him through it. They went back to the fundamentals that built the shot.
"He's like the swing coach in golf," Shamet said. "He knows me that well."
The people who watched Shamet grow up point to three turning points in his basketball career.
As a sophomore at Kansas City's Park Hill High, he made a game-winning shot against Park Hill South, a moment that gave him confidence. As a junior, his play in a win over Blue Springs South and future Missouri Tiger Kevin Puryear alerted NCAA Division I coaches to his talent. At Wichita State, his 20-point performance against Kentucky and Fox in the 2017 NCAA Tournament made the NBA dream seem real.
By Thursday night, Shamet and his jump shot will belong to an NBA team. It is time for another marker in Shamet's career.
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
