When the Philadelphia 76ers selected Landry Shamet 26th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, he was a polarizing prospect. Some felt Landry’s pure shooting ability alone would provide him a spot in the NBA; others felt that Shamet lacked the athleticism and durability to latch on in the league. Whichever side of the argument you fell on, you likely didn’t predict Shamet breaching an All-Rookie team as part of a draft class that was loaded with talent.
But today, the NBA has announced that Landry Shamet has done exactly that. After receiving three 1st team votes and 79 2nd team votes for a total of 85 points, Shamet has been named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team. Landry ultimately finished with the 8th most voting points of all NBA rookies.
Joining Shamet on the All-Rookie Second Team is fellow LA Clipper guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Colin Sexton (Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers), Mitchell Robinson (Center, New York Knicks), and Kevin Huerter (Guard/Forward, Atlanta Hawks).
All-Rookie First Team honors were bestowed upon Luka Doncic (Guard, Dallas Mavericks), Trae Young (Guard, Atlanta Hawks), Deandre Ayton (Center, Phoenix Suns), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Forward/Center, Memphis Grizzlies), and Marvin Bagley III (Forward, Sacramento Kings).
Final vote tallies:
It certainly will sting for Sixers fans to see Shamet nationally recognized as a promising rookie, especially if Philly is unable to convince Tobias Harris, who the Sixers obtained via a package featuring Shamet, to return to the team next season. However, the silver lining is that it should generate a boost in confidence in the Sixers’ front office.
During the Colangelo regime, late first round picks were blown on borderline-at-best NBA players like Furkan Korkmaz, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Anžejs Pasečņiks. Wasting those picks has come back to bite Philly, as evidenced by their challenges to field even a 7-man rotation deep into the playoffs. As the Sixers possibly work toward extending Ben Simmons and retaining Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick and Tobias Harris, salary cap space could become scarce, making it tougher to field a quality roster top to bottom. That’s when late first round picks become crucial. You look at team like the Toronto Raptors: hitting on late-in-the-draft selections and undrafted free agents such as Pascal Siakam (26th overall), Norman Powell (46th overall) and Fred VanVleet (undrafted) has allowed Toronto the luxury of trading assets for proven players like Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol without depleting their roster depth. Elton Brand will possibly be the loudest voice in the room during the 2019 NBA draft, but Brett Brown presided over the Sixers’ 2018 draft and Shamet’s honor could be seen as a testament to Brown’s ability to cultivate young, overlooked talent.
Shamet’s Rookie Numbers
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