Philadelphia 76ers: 3 goals for Landry Shamet’s rookie season
By Derek Hryn
2. Crack the starting lineup
It’s hard to find something more motivating than an unheralded mid-to-late first rounder trying to become a starter in their rookie year, especially on a roster of the 76ers’ caliber.
The fact is, it wouldn’t be the first time.
The most recent examples have been Utah Jazz point guard Donovan Mitchell, who was selected 13th overall and Los Angeles Lakers power forward Kyle Kuzma, who fell all the way to 27th in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Shamet could very well be the next diamond in the rough, if his usage doesn’t go to waste. The Sixers seldom have a rookie who has been able to check all of the boxes at this point in the preseason. They’ve all had either an offensive or defensive blemish in their craft, or they’ve dealt with injury that put a damper on their development.
It appears Shamet could potentially be the one to break that curse this season.