The Shaedon Sharpe experience so far in Portland has been an absolute rollercoaster. There are games like against the San Antonio Spurs where Sharpe finished with six points while shooting 3-of-16 from the field in 28 minutes. Then, there are times where Sharpe looks like the co-star Deni Avdija needs, like in their blowout win against the Utah Jazz, where he recorded 29 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals while shooting 11-of-19 from the field and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
It's been an up-and-down time for Sharpe, not just in terms of this season but also with his career through these first four seasons. But the thing about rollercoasters is that they're fun and usually worth the wait. That's where we stand with Sharpe.
Shaedon Sharpe must become more consistent for Blazers
He's admittedly had some frustrating lows and promising highs, but Sharpe's non-linear growth is still trending upward at the end of the day. After all, he's having the best season of his young career, averaging 21.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 45/33/78 shooting splits.
Most encouragingly, that three-point percentage will be higher by the end of the season. Sharpe shot 44% from beyond the arc in December, and the eye test suggests that he's quietly becoming a more consistent three-level scorer. However, some of that will be determined by his decision-making -- an area where the 22-year-old still needs to grow.
Right now, Sharpe looks great in some games and lost in others. His offensive ceiling is intriguing, but he still misses easy reads and has questionable shot selection. That poor decision-making has also translated to the defensive end. Sharpe's physical tools suggest that he should be an impactful two-way player, but he remains a work in progress on that end.
Portland has already benefited tremendously from his scoring, and his offensive upside is undeniable with his combination of ball-handling, finishing, and top-tier athleticism. But at some point, the Blazers will need Sharpe to become more consistent and reliable on a nightly basis. As their roster continues to improve, both internally and externally, it will be more difficult for Sharpe to maintain his high usage rate (31.1%) if he doesn't improve in these key areas.
If he can't put it all together, the Blazers may have to put him back into a sixth-man role. The good news is that Sharpe would still provide value in that role, as was the case last season. With a four-year, $90 million extension, that wouldn't even be a drastic overpay for this being his worst-case scenario.
But ultimately, the Blazers reached that agreement because they believe in his potential as their long-term starting shooting guard. If Sharpe does reach his star ceiling, that's going to be an incredibly team-friendly deal. And he's already shown signs of that becoming a reality this season.
The talent has never been in question, just the consistency. If Sharpe can figure out how to make this a smoother rollercoaster ride, Portland's offseason investment will look like a major steal.