2. Scoot Henderson, G
Can Scoot improve his finishing ability?
Being a poor three-point shooter or having a ton of turnovers comes with the territory of being a rookie point guard. At least we expected both from Scoot in his first season. But what was shocking was his inability to finish around the rim.
Henderson's offensive strength is his quick first step and ability to get past the defender, but all of that is rendered useless If he continues to finish at the rim at a rate that ranked among the lowest in the league.
Scoot's shooting and turnovers will eventually improve with increased reps and experience. The Blazers can afford to be patient with developing those aspects of his game. But he needs to improve his ability to score in the paint immediately. Otherwise, there's going to be legitimate cause for concern.
1. Shaedon Sharpe, G
What exactly is Shaedon Sharpe?
Shaedon Sharpe is slowly becoming an enigma. He had an incredible end to his rookie season but was limited to 32 games last year with a core muscle injury. Anticipation was high for Sharpe entering this year, but now that he will have to wait at least four weeks after he suffered the same shoulder injury he had in the 2022 Summer League, a small posterior labral tear in his left shoulder.
It's important to put Sharpe's career in perspective as he's only 21 years old. He will have plenty of time to answer some of these questions. But for now, the Blazers' organization and fans are left wondering what they have in Sharpe. Is he injury-prone, or is this just a series of unlucky injuries?
Then, there's the much larger question surrounding what type of player Sharpe is when he's healthy. Do the Blazers have an All-Star on their hands or just an excellent role player who has the occasional breakout game and highlight reel dunk?
Sharpe has shown flashes of incredible potential and was one of the players fans were most eager to watch this season. While that excitement will be on hold for now, it gives us more time to speculate about what the Blazers have in Sharpe.