The Portland Trail Blazers just made a massive move this summer. They traded Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Ja Morant. Now, Morant is slated to headline a new-look Blazers team that will also feature the return of Damian Lillard after his season-ending Achilles injury during the playoffs last year. But the Shaedon Sharpe injury complicates things for Portland in the long run.
Sharpe just tore his meniscus and is slated to miss around six months. That puts a huge dent in the Blazers’ plans for the upcoming season. Not having Sharpe will make it harder for the Blazers to evaluate the Morant era in Portland. How will they know how the team works together if one of their primary pieces is out? How will they know how much to pay guys?
Not having Sharpe will make it much tougher for Portland to get a read on just how good its current roster can be, especially when it comes to gelling with Morant.
Shaedon Sharpe injury will make it hard for Blazers to evaluate Ja Morant era
Sharpe is one of the most important players on the Blazers. The 23-year-old wing seems to be a natural scorer, and last year, he played a ton of minutes for the Blazers.
He played 29.4 minutes in the 50 games he appeared in for the Blazers, and heading into next season, he was undoubtedly going to be a big-time piece for them once again.
But now, Sharpe will be out. His minutes at the wing may end up being replaced by more guard minutes, as the Blazers have a ton of guards ready to contribute.
Scoot Henderson could benefit most from Sharpe’s absence. He could end up playing way more minutes than initially expected because there will simply be more opportunity than there otherwise would have been.
However, regardless of who takes Sharpe’s minutes next season, Sharpe will be a big part of the team’s future. He’s only 23 and will likely be thrust back into the rotation as soon as he’s back.
Unfortunately, the Blazers won’t be able to get a read on how good Sharpe plays with Morant. And the doubling down on guard minutes without one of the team’s best wings could affect Morant, too.
Without all of the right pieces in place, the team isn’t whole. And if the team isn’t whole, it’s going to be hard for the Blazers to accurately assess what the team needs and if the team works.
Obviously, the Sharpe injury is brutal for a number of reasons, especially pertaining to his career, in particular. But for the Blazers, on a grander scale, it could make it more difficult to see just how well the Morant era will work.
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