New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet has seen his role within the Knicks shift drastically over the last few games and it's due to the major leap that Shamet has taken in one skill that the Knicks are in dire need of. 

Shamet's offensive skills are his most obvious trait, a trait he drew even more attention to with his crucial three point shooting during the Knicks' 2026 championship run, but those skills had thus far cemented his role as New York's spark off the bench. 

But now, Shamet has been alternating between a sixth man role and the starting lineup, as he did against the Milwaukee Bucks in a 117-85 victory, but there's more than elite shooting at play behind Shamet's periodic elevation to the starting five. 

That trait is Shamet's defense, something that's sorely needed by the Knicks at the guard position.

After the Knicks' loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, a game in which Shamet came off the bench, yet both had more minutes and outscored both guard Mikal Bridges and forward Josh Hart, head coach Mike Brown spoke about how he was juggling minutes between Hart, Bridges, Shamet and guard Miles McBride primarily because of the latter two's defense.

Defense is something that Shamet has thrived at this season, but it ahsn't always been a part of his bag. In a recent interview, he discussed the steps he's taken to make that defensive leap. 

"Once you've had a number of reps, you have a feel for the rhythm and you can let your instincts go. It's definitely something that's grown because it was a weak point in my draft card coming out of college," Shamet said (via SNY Knicks). 

If Shamet's leap defensively is here to stay, he could become one of the most crucial two-way players the Knicks have at their disposal.

A true three-and-D guard is hard to find nowadays, even if it is common in concept, and Shamet's shooting abilities put him above most of his ilk. Neither Bridges nor guard Jalen Brunson are defense-first kind of players, so Shamet could be a great solution to New York's growing defensive woes. 

He's done well in the limited opportunities he received as a main-minutes getter so far for New York and with more repetition he's likely to ascend even further. The Knicks need all of the defensive help they can get and an elevation like the one that Shamet has so far made is exactly what they need.

Finding minutes for Shamet and the players he's been so far supplanting is a delicate balance for Brown to navigate, but if it means upgrading the Knicks defensively, it's certainly worth it.