Shaedon Sharpe hasn't been the same player since returning from injury, and it's coming at the worst possible time for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Sharpe has had a career year, averaging 20.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Those numbers have taken a huge step back in Portland's first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs. It's a limited sample size of just four games, but he's averaging 7.8 points while playing 15.3 minutes per game -- playing nearly half as much as he did in the regular season.
So how much of this is due to injury and how much is due to Tiago Splitter's relative lack of trust in Sharpe?
Blazers fans are left searching for answers as this is the first playoff sample size they have to go off of with this young core.
Shaedon Sharpe's playoff struggles leave Blazers with more questions than answers
In some ways, Sharpe deserves the benefit of the doubt as he continues what has overall been an upward trajectory at 22 years old. He's done a good job overall of rewarding Portland's decision to invest in him, reaching a four-year, $90 million contract extension before the season.
On the other hand, Sharpe has been in and out of the starting lineup throughout his entire four seasons in Portland. Is this simply a sign of things to come?
It wouldn't be all that surprising, especially considering how poorly he fits with the Blazers defensive identity they've doubled down on this past summer. But with Sharpe taking a back seat, whether due to injury or by design, Portland's offense is left searching for answers.
We've now seen two blown second-half leads in a row as the Blazers fail to generate enough quality looks. Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday can only do so much of the offensive initiation, particularly against an elite Spurs defense led by Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama.
In large part due to a stalling offense, the Blazers suddenly find themselves with their backs against the wall, down 1-3 in the series with a difficult road matchup on Tuesday night. If they want to survive this series, they'll need much more offensive production out of their high-flyer.
Sharpe's 30.5 percent usage rate is the highest on the team this season, while his 20.8 points per game rank second behind only Avdija. The Blazers can't afford for him to continue being a non-factor in this series.
Sharpe is somewhat one-dimensional, offering little elsewhere when it comes to defense or playmaking. If he's not scoring and providing Portland's offense with more shot creation, then what's the point of having him around on this roster?
That will eventually be a tough decision Portland will have to make this offseason. How much was this lackluster series due to a lingering injury and not returning to form, and how much was simply being exposed in the playoffs?
On the surface, Portland has time to figure things out with Sharpe, considering his age and recent extension. But this is a team that could look to go star hunting this offseason, and if they aren't completely sold on Sharpe, his untapped potential could be the perfect bait.
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