Rookie of the Week: Shaedon Sharpe, SG, Portland
I haven’t done one of these in a while because I’ve focused on the draft, but we need to circle back and talk about how good Sharpe was over the final weeks of the season. While the Blazers were shutting things down and turning on the reverse thrusters (see above), Portland’s teenage rookie was doing everything in his power to undermine the Blazers’ efforts.Yes, these were garbage games where the Blazers were often routed (again, see above). But it’s hard to ignore how good Sharpe looked, including in some highly competitive games. He led the way with 27 points, six rebounds and six assists in Portland’s one April win, an upset at Minnesota that cost the Timberwolves home court for Tuesday’s Play-In game. More recently, he had 26 points four assists and two steals in a competitive matchup against the Clippers.
All told, Sharpe averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists over the final 10 games on 57.4 percent True Shooting, which is respectable considering what was around him. The 19-year-old Canadian, took a “gap year” while not playing at Kentucky last season and was often invisible playing in an off-ball role for most of the season. But playing with the ball in his hands seems to have unlocked some athletic tools.
Notably, Sharpe is a special leaper who can attack bigs in the paint and finish. While there are elements of his craft (drawing fouls) that remain works in progress, Sharpe’s raw tools when he can get downhill are exhilarating. Watch here as he hustles back to steal a transition pass intended for Kawhi Leonard, then takes it back the other way and glides into a finish over Clippers’ rim protector Ivica Zubac.
Additionally, Sharpe showed some growth as a passer during his stint as the Blazers’ go-to guy. He more than doubled his per 36 assist rate over the final 10 games, and they weren’t all cheapies just from playing on the ball either. Watch here as he finds his path to the rim cut off and invents a kick-out to Kevin Knox for a triple:
Overall, Portland has to be massively encouraged by Sharpe’s season and should already be pondering what that means for its future. With the franchise seemingly committed to the Sisyphean task of winning with Damian Lillard and not much else, Sharpe becomes a huge part of the plan. That makes one wonder if Anfernee Simons— the opening-day starter at the 2, who averaged 21.1 points a game this season and is still only 23 — might become the expendable piece that the Blazers can parlay into some quality size and/or a wing-stopper for the league’s 27th-ranked defense.
Hollinger's Week That Was: Mavs' late tanking; Bronny James at Hoop Summit; Shaedon Sharpe's big finish
The most extreme tanking display came over the weekend from the Mavs, who were still alive for the playoffs. Plus, the 2024 draft and more.
theathletic.com
Vid has almost 120,000 views …very well documented
