Comparing Shaedon Sharpe’s rookie season to 2022s other top 10 picks

The 2022 NBA regular season has come to a close. While the Portland Trail Blazers season was ultimately a disappointment with the team finishing 13th in the Western Conference and missing the playoffs entirely, the excitement surrounding rookie guard Shadeon Sharpe gives reason to look forward to next season.

Fans were enamored by his electric dunks and high-energy play. At just 19 years old, Sharpe’s evolution could eventually make the Blazers contenders in the West.

How did Sharpe’s inaugural season stack up when compared to the rest of the players taken in the top 10 picks of the 2022 NBA Draft?

Top 10 picks of the 2022 NBA Draft – including Shaedon Sharpe – ranked and graded from A to F:

1) Paolo Banchero, F, Orlando Magic – No. 1 overall

Grade: A 

Many people wondered who the Magic would take at No. 1, and it seems like Paolo Banchero was the right pick. Banchero had an impressive season, averaging 20 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while playing 33.8 minutes per game.

His field goal percentage of 42.7 and 3-point percentage of 29.8 could have been better. Nonetheless, he was able to maintain a solid offensive and defensive rating of 105 and 114, respectively.

Overall, Banchero was a standout player in the league and will likely win the Rookie of the Year Award.

2) Keegan Murray, G, Sacramento Kings – No. 4 overall

Grade: B+ 

Keegan Murray was a reliable player on a Kings team that made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Murray started at point guard, averaging 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while playing 29.8 minutes per game.

His field goal percentage of 45.3 and 3-point percentage of 41.1 were both impressive, leading to an offensive rating of 119. His defensive rating of 117 was solid as well.

3) Bennedict Mathurin, F, Indiana Pacers – No. 6 overall

Grade: B+

Bennedict Mathurin had a strong rookie season that was good enough to give him the fourth-best odds to win the Rookie of the Year Award.

Mathurin finished the season averaging 16.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while playing 28.5 minutes per game. His field goal percentage of 43.4 was pretty good, and his 3-point percentage of 32.3 was decent.

His offensive rating of 109 was solid, but his defensive rating of 121 was high.

4) Jabari Smith Jr. , F, Houston Rockets – No. 3 overall

Grade: B

Jabari Smith Jr. had a good season, starting all 79 games he played in on a rebuilding team. He averaged 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while playing 31 minutes per game.

His field goal percentage of 40.8 was not outstanding, but his 3-point percentage of 30.7 was strong enough to build on. Smith Jr. had a solid offensive rating of 108, but his defensive rating of 119 was higher than the Rockets would hope for.

5) Jaden Ivey, G, Detroit Pistons – No. 5 overall

Grade: B

Jaden Ivey had a solid season overall. He started 73 of the 74 games he played in on the league’s worst team.

He averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while playing 31.1 minutes. His field goal percentage of 41.6 was decent, and his 3-point percentage of 34.3 was above average.

Ivey had a robust offensive rating of 103, but his defensive rating of 121 left a lot to be desired.

6) Shaedon Sharpe, G, Portland Trail Blazers – No. 7 overall

Grade: B-

Shaedon Sharpe had an average season statistically, but in the games he started he looked like a future star.

Sharpe finished the season averaging 9.9 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while playing 22.2 minutes per game. His field goal percentage of 47.2 was solid and his 3-point percentage of 36 was solid.

Sharpe had a solid offensive rating of 109, but his defensive rating of 121 leaves room for improvement.

A Blazers-specific aside: As a starter, Sharpe averaged 18.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 32.9 minutes. His stats as a starter warrant a B+ and would push him to 4th on this list if he maintained that level of play over more games. 

7) Jeremy Sochan, F, San Antonio Spurs – No. 9 overall

Grade: C+

Jeremy Sochan had an OK rookie season, averaging 11 points and 5.3 rebounds in 26 minutes of play. He had a strong offensive rating of 103, but his defensive rating of 120 was much higher than the Spurs would like.

Sochan only played in 56 games this past season but showed flashes of the type of player that made him a top-10 pick.

8) Dyson Daniels, G, New Orleans Pelicans – No. 8 overall

Grade: C

Dyson Daniels had a below-average rookie season, averaging only 3.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while playing 17.7 minutes per game. His field goal percentage of 41.8 was mediocre, and his 3-point percentage of 31.4 was just OK.

Daniels’ offensive rating of 105 and defensive rating of 112 were respectable. Daniels was used more as an off-the-bench player in his rookie season, but his offensive and defensive ratings show that he was good in those limited minutes.

9) Johnny Davis, G, Washington Wizards – No. 10 overall

Grade: C-

Davis dealt with injuries and had a limited role in his freshman NBA season, playing in only 28 games and averaging just 15.1 minutes per game. He struggled with consistency and efficiency, shooting just 38.6 percent from the field and 24.3 percent from beyond the arc.

His strong offensive rating of 92 indicates that he can be a special player on the offensive end. Defensively, he was decent with a rating of 117.

10) Chet Holmgren, F, Oklahoma City Thunder – No. 2 overall

Grade: F

The Thunder’s Chet Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot that required surgery and held him out for the entire 2022-23 NBA season.

This was a disappointing outcome for the rebuilding Thunder who made the play-in tournament despite missing their exciting young power forward.