‘Tis the season for NBA rankings. This week Zach Harper of The Athletic listed out the 40 best shooting guards across the league and the news was mixed for Portland Trail Blazers starter Shaedon Sharpe.
On the good side, Sharpe made the list, coming in 21st overall in the Top 40. Harper even praised him in print, saying, “I’m still very big on Sharpe and think the 22-year-old is about to turn the corner.”
The bad news: 20 players ranked higher, to the point that Sharpe finished in the sixth tier among
his shooting guard peers. He stood with Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain and Jordan Poole of the New Orleans Pelicans. Sharpe was miles away from top-tier guards Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, and Donovan Mitchell. Sacramento Kings starter Zach LaVine, the L.A. Lakers’ Austin Reeves, and former Blazers Norman Powell, Josh Hart, and Anfernee Simons all ranked higher. So did untried rookie VJ Edgecombe and the Spurs’ Devin Vassell.
Clearly Sharpe has room to grow as he enters his fourth season. The Blazers and their fans will care far more about his ranking at the end of the 2025-26 campaign than the beginning. For now, it’s a work in progress and fingers crossed for Portland’s young wing.
