The Portland Trail Blazers had the best possible outcome in their 133-126 OT loss to the Utah Jazz. They found a way to lose the game, helping their lottery odds. But more importantly, Shaedon Sharpe continues to take strides towards being the go-to player they need him to be.
Sharpe finished with a career-high 37 points, along with seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals. He was efficient, too, on 13-of-23 shooting from the field and 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc.
The one knock on his career night was free-throw shooting. Sharpe went 5-of-10 from the charity stripe, including four crucial misses down the stretch that would have sealed the game.
The Blazers didn't give Sharpe much of an opportunity to redeem himself in overtime, either, with Sharpe and Toumani Camara subbing out, presumably in a successful attempt to improve their draft position.
Shaedon Sharpe is the missing piece in the Blazers' rebuild
Lately, all of the spotlight has been on Deni Avdija, and rightfully so, as he's emerged as the Blazers' go-to option. But as great as Avdija has been, it's still apparent that Portland lacks the star power to compete with the gauntlet of teams in the competitive Western Conference.
The Blazers are entering a challenging phase of their rebuild because they can no longer tank for draft selection. It's going to become more difficult to bring in up-and-coming talent, which puts even more pressure on their existing core to develop into the players that get Portland back into the playoffs.
Luckily, it appears that Sharpe's breakout is helping Portland solve that massive problem in their rebuild. He's already had three 30-plus point games in April, averaging 26.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists during that stretch.
Sharpe still needs to improve his three-point shot. But similarly to Avdija, he's already such a good shot creator with his ability to utilize his athleticism to create space. Between Sharpe and Avdija, the Blazers have two underrated playmakers who are great at getting downhill and putting pressure on defenses.
Portland entered the season with Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant as their two best players. Their young core is catching up to their veterans, with Camara's stellar play throughout the season and Avdija and Sharpe turning a corner lately.
That's a clear sign that the Blazers are finally ready to exit their tank and even potentially accelerate their rebuild if the right deal presents itself this offseason.