Shaedon Sharpe's improved play was one of the bright spots of the Portland Trail Blazers' 2024-25 season.
As a rookie, Sharpe showed tremendous upside, particularly towards the end of the season. Portland was looking forward to Sharpe carrying that momentum into his sophomore campaign, but he was limited to just 32 games due to a core muscle injury.
Then, his third season was put on hold as he missed the first eight games due to a torn left shoulder. But it was well worth the wait.
Sharpe just finished up the most productive season of his career, averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 steals in 31.3 minutes per game. However, at just 21 years old, he wasn't perfect by any means.
Chauncey Billups benched Sharpe for his lackluster defense, which was the right call from a win-loss standpoint, as their lineup shift played a massive factor in their surprising midseason turnaround. He also struggled with inconsistency, especially in terms of his assertiveness.
That issue corrected itself towards the end of the season when key veterans were shut down. It was a small sample size of five games, but Sharpe emerged as Portland's go-to option in April, resulting in three 30-plus point performances.
Portland needs Shaedon Sharpe to become a more reliable shooter
Sharpe's positional size as a 6-foot-5 guard with elite athleticism suggests he can eventually turn into a net-positive defender. Consistency is also something that will come with more experience and a clearer role in Portland's messy roster. However, the one glaring question mark that will determine whether or not Sharpe reaches his All-Star level ceiling is his shooting.
It's challenging in the modern NBA to be a standout guard as a below-average shooter. As promising as Sharpe's third season was, he also had his worst shooting year at 31.1 percent beyond the arc. For context, the average three-point percentage for a shooting guard this season was 37 percent.
The eye test suggests Sharpe will get closer to the 36 percent he shot as a rookie, but he's been trending in the wrong direction since entering the league.
Outside of shooting, Sharpe already possesses all the offensive tools to become Portland's missing All-Star. He has elite athleticism that few in the entire NBA can match. He's also an underrated playmaker, especially at the shooting guard position.
If Sharpe can become a more reliable three-point shooter, it will make him an incredibly lethal three-level scorer and open up his entire game.
If not, it won't be long before Portland has to reconsider Sharpe's place in their young core -- whether that means lowering expectations or reshaping the backcourt entirely.