Philadelphia 76ers Thanksgiving: One thing to be thankful for with every player

Landry Shamet — His immediate impact

When the Sixers drafted Landry Shamet with the 26th overall pick, nobody — including Brett Brown — thought he would make the opening night rotation. 20 games in, Shamet is one of the Sixers’ most important bench pieces.

Learning from J.J. Redick, Shamet has quickly adjusted to his niche in the Sixers’ offense. He’s the quintessential Marco Belinelli replacement, constantly moving without the ball and drilling spot-up jumpers. He also competes on defense.

The Sixers need more shooters, but without Shamet (and to a lesser extent Korkmaz) the second unit would be in total disarray. The Wichita State product continues to produce in critical minutes off the bench.

While All-Rookie honors are difficult to earn, Shamet is making a strong case. It’s rare for late first-round picks to make an impact on competitive teams. Shamet has played in all 20 games, averaging over 20 minutes per contest.