Shaedon Sharpe is getting better. I'm, like, 80 percent sure. December was a splendid month for Sharpe, in which he averaged 22.9 points per game and shot 44% from 3-point range. In January, that number has slipped back down to 32.4%, but we're still early in the month. Notably, Sharpe already has two games with 5-plus assists in January, compared to 3 the entire season prior to the new year.
It's a good time for that too, because now, with Deni Avdija sidelined, that playmaking from Sharpe has to keep developing.
The Portland Trail Blazers have been playing great basketball. But with star Deni Avdija set to miss time with a back injury, Shaedon Sharpe has to step into a playmaking role that fans have wanted him to play for years.
Jrue Holiday being back in the mix is massive for the Blazers' offensive outlook, but Sharpe's role is still going to increase, and if he can complement Holiday's passing with some playmaking of his own, the Blazers offense should still be competitive enough to keep them in games. That's just a big "if."
Shaedon Sharpe's playmaking needs to keep developing
I don't know if Shaedon will ever be the high-level sharpshooter (nice) that fans picture him becoming. But if he can averaging a consistent 23 points per game and add some facilitation chops like we've seen a few hints of him trying to do, then that suddenly turns him into a multi-dimensional weapon.
There were multiple instances in the Houston (5 asssists) and Utah (7 assists) games when I said "Nice pass, Shaedon," out loud. I know that's not an official statistic, but the nice pass, Shaedon's per 36 minutes do seem to be increasing.
With Deni out, they kind of have to. I don't expect Shaedon to become Tyrese Haliburton out there — scoring should still be his primary focus, obviously. But Deni's connective passing ability is so important to everything the Blazers do, and Shaedon making sure the ball doesn't get stuck when it comes to him is vital to keeping the offense flowing.
Sharpe is slowly becoming more reliable
There's been a subtle change to Shaedon Sharpe in year four, but an important change nonetheless. His efficiency remains a question, but his consistency is becoming less of one — and that's a big development in its own right.
Before this year, it was anyone's guess how Shaedon would perform on a given night. This year, his play feels less volatile. That's not to say he's reached his ceiling or has finally turned into the star Portland hoped for, but Sharpe stringing together two weeks worth of good games is not as shocking as it was in year's past.
The scoring keeps ticking up. If the passing can tick up — specifically in the coming days without Deni Avdija — the Blazers might be able to survive without their best player.