Philadelphia 76ers: Landry Shamet earns All-Rookie honors… as a Clipper

After a promising rookie season, Landry Shamet earned second-team All-Rookie honors. Maybe the Philadelphia 76ers shouldn’t have traded him after all?

Good news, Landry Shamet has been named to the NBA’s second-team All-Rookie Squad.

Bad news, it’s as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sigh.

While this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to fans of the NBA, Wichita State, or in the 215, as Shamet led all eligible rookies in 3 point shooting percentage, it’s still tough to see the Philadelphia 76ers‘ second 2018 first round pick – an absolute steal none the less – receive such a justly earned honor on another team.

And really, it never should have happened.

Regardless of how you feel about Elton Brand‘s decision to blow it up and go for broke at the trade deadline, it’s hard not to feel like a jealous ex-boyfriend watching their former significant other live their best life on the other side of the country.

I mean Shamet even hit a clutch, game-winning 3 to upset the Golden State Warriors in one of the best wins of the entire postseason. That’s just brutal, dude.

While I personally liked the idea of adding Tobias Harris into the fray back in February, and the addition of Mike Scott may go down as one of the best midseason acquisitions in recent memory, when I saw Shamet’s name included in the deal, my stomach dropped.

Call me optimistic, but I believe Shamet has J.J. Redick-level upside, but with Markelle Fultz-esque athleticism. Sure, he may never become a team’s top scorer, or even fit the 3-and-D pedigree that teams clamor for at every position, but Shamet can already shoot the 3 at almost 10 points higher than the NBA average and has enough upside to get even better.

Shamet even played point guard in college, and can provide secondary playmaking abilities from either wing position; what is there not to like?

I guess we need to collectively ask that question to Brand?

While Shamet’s not as good a player as Harris right now, and probably would have been a liability in the postseason defensively, he’s still on a rookie contract for three more seasons, and could have grown into a natural heir to Redick with extensive experience in Brown’s scheme.

Worst case, Shamet could have remained a credible contributor as a deadly 3 point shooting sixth man coming off the bench, giving Brown Philly’s answer to Manu Ginobili.

But no. Now, when fans in Philadelphia want to watch Shamet light it up, they’ll need to stay up late and pray that a Los Angeles Clippers game is for some reason on national television.

Who knows, if the Clippers do end up landing a marquee free agent or two like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, or (in the irony of all ironies) either Jimmy Butler or Tobias Harris, maybe the Clippers will become a national television staple like other previously overlooked franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, or Miami Heat have historically when they add a franchise player(s).

Needless to say, the Clippers got a pretty good return for an impending free agent who probably wasn’t even going to re-sign in the first place.

Sigh, maybe the 76ers can steal another college sharpshooter in the mid-20s who can develop into an All-Rookie performer. I mean, lighting can strike twice, right?