Shaedon Sharpe was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the seventh pick and a lot of mystery in 2022. The fact that he didn’t take the court his freshman year at Kentucky made it tricky for NBA
teams searching for a comprehensive understanding of his ability and potential.
But then newly-minted Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin took the plunge and a chance on the young Canadian with the franchise’s first lottery pick in nine years — I don’t count Zach Collins in 2017, for a number of reasons. The early returns were exciting but far from compelling when concluding whether Sharpe was the franchise’s future.
Sharpe played 80 games that rookie year, averaging 22.2 minutes but failed to make an All Rookie team, earning a mere 36 Second Team votes following 9.9 points, 3.0 boards and 1.2 assists on 36 percent from three. But the talent was still obvious and undeniable outside of the jaw-dropping, highlight reel plays.
Fast-forward two years and Sharpe likely saw the writing on the wall when it came to restricted free agency and decided to extend with the Blazers on a four-year, $90 million deal in October. While the previous 24 months had shown legitimate growth, it hadn’t been at a high or consistent-enough level to warrant max-level money.
But it wasn’t a pittance either with some pundits still not convinced he was going to be good enough to deserve more than $20 million a year.
Through 35 games the number of those doubters should be fewer, or at least a little quieter.
Offense
Sharpe started the season as inefficient as ever. The ball seemed to land anywhere but the through the hoop. The shot selection didn’t help, but regardless of the reason, the concern grew. Fortunately, as soon as the calendar turned from November to December, something changed.
In the 15 games since Portland’s loss to his hometown Toronto Raptors on December 2, Sharpe has averaged an impressive 22.9 points on 46.6 percent from the field, 42.0 percent from three, 4.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists.
The 42.0 percent three point average is a little more impressive when you realize how bad he was in October and November where he hit only 26 of 103 three-point attempts or 25.2 percent. He’s turned things around, burying 34 of 81 since.
The efficiency has also been helped along by his shot selection. In year’s past, Sharpe took more than 40 percent of shots from beyond the arc, barely reaching the mid 30 percent rate in accuracy. This year, it appears he’s made a conscious effort to be more judicious when deciding where to let go of the ball, taking only 33 percent from three.
Closer to the rim, Sharpe has solidified himself in the top 20 in accuracy around the rim, among combo guards, this year hitting 67.9 percent. And while Deni Avdija is the league leader in getting to the rim, Sharpe isn’t too far behind him, driving to the bucket 11.3 times a game.
With all the injuries this team has sustained this season, it’s been down to Avdija to carry the scoring load. But it’s been Sharpe serving as his reliable sidekick, ensuring the scoreboard continues to tick over when Avdija defers or takes a seat.
The pair’s contribution was also highlighted in this week’s December Player of the Month awards where both Avdija and Sharpe were mentioned as nominees for the Western Conference prize.
Defense
Sharpe was benched by Chauncey Billups last season for a lack of competitiveness on the defensive end and for good reason. The young, athletic wing was there but would often go missing when it came to defensive assignments.
I doubt the benching would have been warranted if Sharpe didn’t have the ability to be a good defender. Foundationally, he’s a 6’6” wing with a 7-foot wingspan, ridiculous leaping ability, and decent lateral movement. For all intents and purposes, he’s shown he can be a good defender, but those moments just needed to be made the norm.
This season, Sharpe has still experienced those off moments but he has been far more consistently engaged on that end of the floor. He’s learning how to use that crazy athleticism and the lengthy measurements, serving at the point of attack and in team and help scenarios.
His steals are up from 1.5 last season to 1.7 his season, but more than that his steal rate is up from 1.1 per cent and 71st among combo guards last season to 2.1 percent and 12th among combo guards this season. He has almost doubled the number of opponent possessions he’s stolen the ball on, which is pretty impressive.
Sharpe’s block rate is still relatively low considering his length and bounce, but I’m not going to be too critical. I’d much rather him be prowling the perimeter where, if he’s not got a direct assignment, he’s getting in passing lanes, stealing, deflecting and generating fast break points for the Blazers.
Conclusion
Shaedon Sharpe and his management made the right move in October, locking in guaranteed money and avoiding the fickle restricted free agency market next summer. The Blazers should be satisfied too, securing him on a relatively team-friendly deal. But how friendly was always going to depend on Sharpe.
Despite an inefficient offensive start to the season, the young Canadian has turned a corner playing consistent basketball on both sides of the ball while continuing to give fans more of that gobsmacking athleticism. If the past five weeks indicate a baseline level of play for Sharpe over the next four and a half seasons, both he and the franchise won the extension signed on season’s eve.
Ultimately, the wing has shown maturity and growth this season, rising to the challenge when the Blazers medical report prompted face palms. And at 22, there’s nothing to suggest that maturity can’t continue to the point where he’s a genuine factor in All Star discussions.
But just for a guy earning a little more than $20 million a year, I think both he and the Blazers should be happy about where they’re both at with further improvement still a reasonable expectation.
