The Portland Trail Blazers' early-season success without Shaedon Sharpe raises questions about whether he truly fits this roster going forward. We've seen a new and improved offense in Portland under first-year head coach Micah Nori, contributing to an incredibly promising 3-0 start. But with that comes things that aren't necessarily strengths of Sharpe's.
He's at his best when he's more of the focal point of an offense, like last season when his 30.5 usage percentage was highest on the team, even above All-Star Deni Avdija. The offense isn't like that anymore under Nori, and we're already seeing that it's for the better.
Portland's offense under Nori is far less stagnant. Both players and the ball are moving at all times. Portland has defenses constantly scrambling as they struggle to contain the new trio of Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, and Avdija. Not only are Lillard and Morant an upgrade over Sharpe as that secondary playmaker for Avdija, but they're also a better fit.
Why Shaedon Sharpe may not fit Blazers' offense under Micah Nori
Sharpe's a shooting guard who can't shoot. Lillard is back to being a top five shooter on planet Earth. He may have never even left, considering he somehow still won the 3-Point Contest last season without even playing a game.
We recently praised Toumani Camara for his seamless fit alongside these stars. He's that glue guy that every contender needs. But the same reasons that make Camara such a seamless fit -- he doesn't need the ball, defends, and spaces the floor -- are exactly why there should be concerns about Sharpe’s going forward.
He's already been benched by two different head coaches, Chauncey Billups and Tiago Splitter, in consecutive seasons. Billups outright said it was due to his defense, while Sharpe declined to share with the media what the reasoning behind Splitter's decision was.
His fit was already questionable throughout this rebuild, and the fact that the Blazers now have all these guards that are fitting well without him should give Portland hesitation to bring him back into the equation. That risks the chance of setting off balance whatever working formula the Blazers have clearly found to start the season.
Consider the shot profile Nori's offense has. In that recent win Tuesday over the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland took just two midrange shots. Everything else was either a free throw, three-pointer, or at the rim. Sharpe unfortunately doesn't fit that shot profile or style of play where the ball is constantly moving.
The Blazers, to a lesser extent, even reminded me of the San Antonio Spurs under Gregg Popovich with how much the ball was flying around. There are so many sound decision-makers in Portland, and it's that versatility of having players like Jrue Holiday capable of shooting, defending, ball-handling, and passing.
The Blazers are full of multi-dimensional players, and to bring Sharpe back into the mix could ultimately wind up hurting this team more than it helps. Sharpe is projected to be back roughly around late February to early March. So, in all likelihood, the Blazers would have to decide on a potential trade before even seeing him play.
There's a ton of time for Cronin to evaluate how this current backcourt picture looks. But if this strong play that's led to a 3-0 start continues, it's going to make it that much more difficult for Sharpe to fit into the picture going forward.
If the Blazers view themselves one piece away from legitimate contention in the West at the trade deadline, it could make sense to use Sharpe's upside as part of that package. A change of scenery might benefit both him and the Blazers.
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