The Portland Trail Blazers have the second-worst three-point shooting efficiency in the league at 33.5%, marking the third consecutive season in which they rank in the bottom five. While Portland is expected to be a buyer at the trade deadline to address this glaring weakness, there's also significant room for internal improvement, considering how young this roster is. There's no better example of that than 22-year-old guard Shaedon Sharpe.
The Blazers' high-flyer is already an offensive threat with his elite athleticism, finishing, midrange jumper, and ability to create separation. But at this point in his career, the one red flag on the offensive end comes from his lack of floor spacing.
Sharpe tries to be a three-level scorer, averaging 5.2 three-pointers per game for his career. But he's now connecting on just 32.7% of those attempts. It was a concerning development in Sharpe's career trajectory as his efficiency has surprisingly declined each season since entering the league. He appeared to hit rock bottom this season, which was horrible timing considering Portland just recently invested in their guard in the form of a four-year, $90 million extension.
The player Sharpe was last year didn't justify that extension, so this was Portland extrapolating his development and investing in the player they think he will become down the road. That's warranted as Sharpe possesses arguably the highest ceiling on the Blazers' entire roster. Still, in order to reach that potential, he must become a consistent shooting threat.
The Blazers desperately need this version of Shaedon Sharpe
The good news is that Sharpe is trending in the right direction, bouncing back from a slow start to the season. He was dealing with a calf strain, which appears to have contributed to his poor shooting. In December, Sharpe's now shooting 48.4% from downtown. He just showcased that improved shooting in Portland's win over Golden State, finishing with 35 points on 5-of-7 from deep.
While December has been a small sample size of six games, and he's bound to regress, there's a legitimate reason to buy into him as an improved shooter. He's finally shed that injury and is emerging as Portland's secondary offensive initiator alongside Deni Avdija.
If Sharpe is able to put these shooting nights together on a more consistent basis, he's going to make an All-Star appearance in his future that much more likely. He's not the best defender and still needs to improve as a playmaker, but Sharpe is already one of the best in the league at strictly getting buckets. Given how reliant he is on scoring to make an impact, it's essential that he is able to become that three-level scoring threat. That's also going to open up the driving lanes, allowing him to get downhill and play more to his true strengths.
Avdija has ascended to stardom in his second season in Portland, but their rebuilding ceiling remains limited as they look to compete with the superstars in the Western Conference. If Sharpe can become that co-star for the Blazers, it's going to drastically elevate their ceiling. His improved three-point shot lately is a promising sign that he's on track to become that missing piece.