The Portland Trail Blazers are currently 11-21, which is third-worst in the Western Conference and sixth-worst in the association. As expected, the Blazers perform better at home than on the road. The disparity is significant in their case, with an 8-8 home record compared to just 3-13 on the road.
There's also been a trend between Portland's wins/losses and how well they shoot beyond the arc. That's not surprising, as the three-pointer has become such an integral part of the modern NBA.
Winning the 3pt battle is winning 71% of NBA games thus far. It started higher, went lower and is now back part of the way up. Rebounds are recently over 50%. Turnovers were initially high and have come down. pic.twitter.com/6hhP8M704Z
— Dean Oliver (@DeanO_Lytics) December 30, 2024
This is a concerning graphic for a Blazers team that finished dead last in three-point percentage last year and is third worst in the league this season at 33.1 percent.
Besides the general factors like home/road splits and three-point shooting, a more specific trend has been key in determining whether Portland wins or loses. It lies in the performance of Shaedon Sharpe, who is starting to emerge as their surprising X-factor.
Shaedon Sharpe shows drastic differences in Blazers' wins and losses
Sharpe has played 24 of the Blazers' 32 games, missing the first eight of the season due to a left shoulder injury. Portland has an 8-16 record in games that Sharpe has played.
In those eight wins, Sharpe is averaging 24.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals on 49/37/80 shooting splits.
In their 16 losses with Sharpe, his numbers dip to 14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.6 steals on 43/24/81 shooting splits.
A 36.7 three-point percentage in wins compared to 24.2 percent in losses is significant. It's also worth noting that as a team, the Blazers are shooting the three-ball better at home (35.2 percent) than on the road (31.1). But that hasn't been the case for Sharpe, who is 28.0 percent at home and 30.4 percent on the road.
The Blazers need Sharpe to shoot the ball well to improve their chances of winning. However, their success goes beyond his efficiency; it also has to do with his aggressiveness.
Blazers are at their best when Sharpe is assertive
In wins, Sharpe averages 18.3 field goal attempts, 7.5 three-point attempts, and 4.9 free throw attempts. That's substantially higher than his attempts in losses: 12.9 field goals, 5.7 threes, and 2.6 free throws.
While areas like three-point shooting will take more time to improve, his assertiveness is a more immediate area of growth that he has more control over. The Blazers are at their best when Sharpe takes on the role of a go-to scorer.
That's a role Portland currently lacks, but Sharpe has shown flashes of eventually becoming that player. His inconsistencies in that role are understandable, given that he's just 21 years old and has played less than 150 games in the NBA.
It's also Chauncey Billups' responsibility to establish Sharpe as the focal point of Portland's offense, allowing him to take over more frequently and consistently. Good things tend to happen when the ball is in Sharpe's hands. And even when they don't, it's all part of the necessary growing pains to unlock his All-Star potential.