The case for Blazers starting Shaedon Sharpe over Scoot Henderson

The Portland Trail Blazers acquired their starting small forward on draft day by shipping out veteran point guard Malcolm Brogdon, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks for 23-year-old Deni Avdija. It was a matter of time before Portland moved on from Brodgon, as it solved multiple problems they had entering the offseason, most notably allowing them to get under the luxury tax. It's a significant amount of trade assets to give up for Avdija, but you can make a strong case that the Blazers won the trade.

Portland now has four starting spots locked up between Anfernee Simons, Avdija, Jerami Grant, and Deandre Ayton. Simons, Grant, and Ayton all seem expendable following the Blazers' recent moves; one or multiple of them could be traded this summer or before the trade deadline. But, barring a trade, head coach Chauncey Billups will have to decide who gets the last starting spot, and it likely will be between Shaedon Sharpe or Scoot Henderson.

Why the Blazers should start Sharpe over Scoot

Having Sharpe start over Henderson isn't about one being better. Instead, it's about how the two young guards fit into the Blazers' first and second units. Henderson is the best playmaker on Portland's roster. He averaged 5.4 assists per game his rookie season and continued to improve as the year went on, averaging 7.1 post-All-Star break.

The Blazers' starting lineup has many players who can create their own shots, such as Grant and Ayton. Meanwhile, their bench is much more defensive-minded between Matisse Thybulle, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, and Robert Williams III. That's a positive, as long as they have a proper point guard orchestrating the offense.

Henderson's ability to generate open looks for teammates would be much more beneficial for the players who can't consistently create offense themselves. Simons and Avdija are capable of doing the majority of the playmaking in the starting lineup. Let Scoot flourish as the lead guy with the more defensive-oriented second unit.

Defensively, the Blazers' starting lineup would have more size with the 6-foot-6 Sharpe playing alongside 6-foot-3 Simons in the backcourt rather than having another 6-foot-3 player in Henderson. Portland has been through the undersized backcourt era with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum for too long, and it would be nice to have a change of pace in that regard.

Sharpe is also a better shooter than Henderson, which should help with floor spacing, allowing the rest of the starters more room to operate in one-on-one situations where many of them thrive.

There's essentially no wrong answer for Billups. Even if one doesn't start, both up-and-coming guards will get significant minutes, especially now that Brogdon is out of the picture. The Blazers have lofty expectations for Sharpe and Henderson as the focal pieces of their rebuilding efforts. They will do everything to ensure they have all the opportunities to develop and maximize the high ceilings that made them top draft picks.