The Portland Trail Blazers will be without Shaedon Sharpe for roughly six months as the high flyer suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. Unfortunate timing for someone who has improved each season and seemed on the verge of a breakout at 23.
If there's one silver lining for the Blazers, it's that Sharpe's absence clears up a lot of minutes to keep the rest of their guards happy with their roles for the time being. That's something the Blazers' first-year head coach, Micah Nori, recently addressed at Media Day on Monday, when he was asked how he plans to fit all the guards and Deni Avdija together on offense.
"I think it changed quite a bit when Shaedon got hurt," Nori said. "And what I mean by that is, the narrative was that we just had so many smalls. Now all of a sudden, when you lose one, then that changes drastically… You're getting guys who are good decision-makers that are willing passers. So we're not bringing in Ja, who's looking to shoot it 22 to 23 times a game. When you look at it like that, when you bring in someone like that, then it's difficult… It's all about decision makers. The league is going, in my opinion, a lot smaller now, positionless and all that type of thing. So just really good basketball players who are willing to make plays for others and good decision makers. So I think that it's a good problem to have."
Willing to make plays for others and good decision maker isn't necessarily what I would use to describe Sharpe's offensive game, already raising questions about whether he fits Nori's vision.
Blazers won't miss Shaedon Sharpe as much on offense under Micah Nori
At full strength, Portland has too much of a backcourt logjam. Those sacrifices won't be as apparent with Sharpe out of the picture. In fact, the on-court loss might not even be that apparent with Sharpe out of the picture.
He's been a key shot creator for the Blazers in the past, oftentimes offering them a bailout solution to a defense-minded roster that fails to generate offense or stalls at times. Under Nori and all these new guards, the idea is that the ball and offense will flow so much that they wouldn't even use Sharpe's strong isolation game much anyway.
There's no denying the individual talent, which still ranks amongst the highest on a Blazers roster suddenly filled with talent, particularly in the backcourt. But despite the extension, it was already fair to question where Sharpe fit with this new-look offense. That's even more so now that he's out for roughly six months, making him the odd man out by default.
By the time Sharpe returns, the Blazers offensive hierarchy will already be well established under Nori. Given his ball-dominant, score-first playstyle, it could potentially be difficult for Sharpe to reintegrate himself into the offense at that point.
Throughout Media Day, Nori emphasized the added shooting for Deni Avdija, the defensive pieces to cover for Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, and the number of capable ball handlers and decision-makers that should allow them to play effectively in transition. Sharpe's athleticism is always a great asset to have out in the open court, though he doesn't provide the floor spacing or defense like several other pieces on this roster.
Even with the rookie-scale extension, Sharpe no longer fits this roster. The Morant trade already raised concerns regarding how this backcourt would shake out. The injury compounded those concerns. Now, Nori's preferred vision for this roster doesn't appear to match the strengths and weaknesses Sharpe brought to the table.
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