It's only training camp, but Blazers finally found their breakout star

The Portland Trail Blazers have just two days of training camp under their belts, but one breakout player is already beginning to emerge, and that's Shaedon Sharpe. Blazers insider Sean Highkin recently mentioned on X that Sharpe is the one player consistently singled out by Chauncey Billups and teammates as having a great camp so far.

That update is precisely what every Blazers fan was hoping to hear. Sharpe has arguably the highest ceiling out of any player on Portland's roster. The Blazers desperately need more star power to catch up in the stacked Western Conference, and Sharpe represents their best bet to achieve that.

A Shaedon Sharpe breakout is just what Portland needs

Sharpe's first three seasons have been frustrating for Blazers fans. Not because he's necessarily played poorly, but because everyone knows that he's capable of much more if he's able to put it all together.

He's been limited by some things out of his control, such as injuries and an inconsistent offensive role. But some of it has also been on Sharpe himself. Despite his positional size and elite athleticism, he's been one of the worst defenders on Portland's roster, with Billups even benching him last season for that exact reason. His three-point shot hasn't been reliable either, connecting on just 31.1% of his attempts last season.

The Blazers' rebuilding ceiling largely depends on Sharpe becoming a more complete player in terms of being a three-level scorer, playmaker, and defender. It sounds like he's already made tremendous progress towards becoming that player for Portland this summer.

If this training camp praise translates to the regular season, it's going to be perfect timing for the Blazers, as they need Sharpe to step up his production for several reasons. The immediate issue is that backcourt partner Scoot Henderson is projected to be out four to eight weeks with a hamstring injury. But even with Henderson back in the mix, Portland needs Sharpe to carry a lot of the offensive weight with Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton now out of the equation.

Sharpe is currently eligible for a rookie-scale extension, but will become a restricted free agent next summer if a deal doesn't materialize before the start of the season. It remains to be seen if this positive update changes anything regarding that, but it at least gives Portland much more confidence in investing in him long-term.

The question mark surrounding Sharpe has never been talent; it's whether he can turn that theoretical potential into reality. It's a minimal sample size, but it's hard not to get excited about this development as it's just the thing Portland needs to take their rebuild to the next level.