The Portland Trail Blazers had several bright spots from the 2024-25 season, where they saw a 15-win improvement. One of which was Shaedon Sharpe, who Blazers fans were eager to see after he was limited to just 32 games last season due to a core muscle injury.
Sharpe had the best season of his young career with 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 45/31/79 shooting splits. For a shooting guard, we'd love to see Sharpe improve his three-point efficiency, as the league average at the position was 37.0 percent.
But that's just one part of a larger issue: consistency.
Sharpe reaching his All-Star ceiling starts with consistency
Sharpe is just 22 years old, so it's understandable that he hasn't been able to put it all together yet. However, the fact that some of these issues are mental lapses is concerning going forward, especially considering that Portland has to make a key decision on his potential rookie-scale extension this summer.
At times, Sharpe has poor decision-making on both ends of the court. Offensively, he had 2.1 turnovers and questionable shot selection, which he'll need to improve to become one of Portland's long-term primary playmakers. However, the more significant issue lies on the defensive end.
He had a 117.2 defensive rating -- second worst on the team behind only Anfernee Simons. Sharpe frustratingly missed assignments, leading to Chauncey Billups deciding to bench him. That was a polarizing decision.
Portland is in rebuild mode and should be prioritizing its recent top-ten picks. But from a win-loss standpoint, it's hard to argue with the results. The Blazers were better off for it, as that lineup switch -- going to a versatile wing trio of Jerami Grant, Deni Avdija, and Toumani Camara -- contributed to Portland's improved defense and midseason turnaround. They even had a top-ten-ranked defense in 2025.
Given his 6-foot-5 frame and elite athleticism, Sharpe has the physical tools to be a net-positive defender. However, at this point in his career, the idea of Sharpe as a two-way star remains largely theoretical.
He still deserves some leeway because of his age. There's plenty of time for Sharpe to learn how to become a well-rounded player who impacts winning beyond just the electrifying dunks and smooth midrange game. But at some point, we may have to accept that this is just Sharpe as a player.
Hopefully, he can take that next step and become more consistent in 2025-26. The Blazers' ceiling is closely tied to his own.