Latest news with #ShaedonSharpe
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trail Blazers Still Seeking Their Star
In a recent post, we asked readers to identify the best player for the Portland Trail Blazers in the season to come. The results are in. The response was overwhelming for Deni Avdija. The vast majority of commenters affirmed that the starting small forward was the brightest light in Portland's constellation right now, with a few votes for Shaedon Sharpe, who was at least a mild favorite for becoming the best player three years down the road. The results of the survey weren't surprising, but they did bring up a question in my mind. Is Deni Avdija truly a #1 player, someone a team can hitch their wagon to for the long haul? I love Avdija's game and enthusiasm. He's got everything you'd want: defense, hustle and speed, court savvy. He's one of those players who could plug into just about any lineup anywhere and contribute. His inaugural season in Portland last year opened the eyes of not just Blazers fans, but the entire NBA to that fact. But is Avdija a star, or are the Trail Blazers still searching for the player who will lead them onward? Status in professional sports is relative. If the whole rest of the league wins 40-41 games and you win 50, you're the best. If six teams win 60, that 50-win total isn't as impressive. This is also true of talent and stardom. 'Best option' is measured against other players in your generation. It doesn't matter how Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson would fare today or back in 1965. They were the best of their contemporaries, thus transcendent superstars. I don't think anyone expects Avdija to reach those heights, but what happens if we compare him to other potential 'best players' on their teams? How might he, and the Blazers, rank on the stardom ladder? Pursuing this question, I did a quick run through the league, identifying players on each team who are definitely closer to stardom than Deni. The list is not exhaustive. I didn't put down every player on every team who might exceed him. I just looked at the top 1-2 players for each franchise, asking if they were obviously ahead of Avdija. The criteria I used to determine 'ahead' were a combination of production/stats and impact, leavened with the question, 'Could the Blazers conceivably trade Avdija for this player 1-for-1, disregarding contract considerations?' If the answer was clearly, 'No,' then that player made the list. Here's the list of teams with more prominent, productive stars than Avdija. Boston Celtics–Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Philadelphia 76ers–Tyrese Maxey, (when healthy) Joel Embiid New York Knicks–Jalen Brunson (maybe more) Cleveland Cavaliers–Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley Detroit Pistons–Cade Cunningham Indiana Pacers–Tyrese Haliburton Milwaukee Bucks–Giannis Antetokounmpo Orlando Magic–Paolo Banchero Minnesota Timberwolves–Anthony Edwards Oklahoma City Thunder–Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (et al.) Denver Nuggets–Nikola Jokic Los Angeles Lakers–Luka Doncic, LeBron James Los Angeles Clippers–Kawhi Leonard (at least) Golden State Warriors–Steph Curry Phoenix Suns–Devin Booker Memphis Grizzlies–Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson, Jr. New Orleans Pelicans–Zion Williamson Houston Rockets–Kevin Durant (and maybe more) San Antonio Spurs–Victor Wembanyama (and maybe more) Dallas Mavericks–Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving In addition, here are a half-dozen players that could go either way, depending on how you looked at them and Deni: Toronto Raptors–Scottie Barnes Atlanta Hawks–Trey Young Miami Heat–Bam Adebayo Charlotte Hornets–LaMelo Ball Utah Jazz–Lauri Markkanen Sacramento Kings–DeMar DeRozan Long story short, that's at least 20, and up to 26, teams who have a better top end than the Blazers have right now. That would seem to indicate that Portland is still very much in the market for a big-time player. Note that this is NOT an indictment of Deni Avdija, his talent, skills, or contributions. As we said above, he's amazing! Love having him on the team. His name is only in this slot because he was the consensus 'best player in Portland' pick. The point is not that Avdija is lacking, rather that the Trail Blazers probably still have some serious building to do around him. It might be interesting, if more speculative, to go through the list again, presuming Shaedon Sharpe develops into a 20-point scorer in three years. What players would still forecast to be ahead of him, or at least at that level still? Offhand I'd say Tatum, Brown, Maxey, Brunson, Mitchell, Mobley, Cunningham, Haliburton, Antetokounmpo, Banchero, Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander, Doncic, Booker, Morant, Jackson Jr., and Wembanyama would all qualify. Plus you then have to account for Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and new draftees. That's 17-20 players we can reasonably forecast to exceed even the brightest hopes in Portland. It's been a summer of change for the Blazers. It's been a summer of excitement too! At the end of the day, they may be right back looking for the same thing they have been: a little luck, a great trade, or some kind of unforeseen leap from one of their existing players to take them to the next level.
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Portland Trail Blazers' Lineup Once Damian Lillard Gets Healthy Looks Promising
Portland Trail Blazers' Lineup Once Damian Lillard Gets Healthy Looks Promising originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Portland Trail Blazers have been mired in mediocrity for quite some time now, failing to make the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. The Trail Blazers did show some signs of life in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, though, going 23-18 in their last 41 games. The Trail Blazers are looking to build on that stretch and have brought in two veterans this offseason in Jrue Holiday and, most recently, Damian Lillard. Lillard, who is currently recovering from a torn Achilles, is set to sign a three-year, $42 million deal to return home, and the Trail Blazers' lineup when he gets healthy looks promising. Starting Lineup PG - Damian Lillard SG - Jrue Holiday SF - Shaedon Sharpe PF - Deni Avdija C - Donovan Clingan Lillard himself is the biggest question mark in this lineup, as there's no way to know just how good he will be once he returns. The nine-time All-Star averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024-25, and it would be unrealistic to expect him to put up similar numbers. The best-case scenario might be Lillard playing at a borderline All-Star level. That would be an upgrade on what the Trail Blazers have had at the point guard spot since his departure. Lillard's backcourt partner would be Holiday, whom he was traded for back in 2023. The Trail Blazers sent the veteran to the Boston Celtics not long after and have now brought him back. Holiday averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Celtics in 2024-25. He is just a year removed from making the All-Defensive Second Team and is the ideal partner for a guard like Lillard. Shaedon Sharpe would join the two veterans on the perimeter, and he is coming off his best season in the NBA. Sharpe averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Trail Blazers in 2024-25. The 22-year-old can frustrate at times, but now has two experienced campaigners to guide him. Next, we get to Deni Avdija, who impressed in his first season with the Trail Blazers. Avdija averaged 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2024-25 after arriving via trade from the Washington Wizards. He averaged 23.3 points after the All-Star break, and the Trail Blazers would love for him to keep that up moving forward. Lastly, we get to Donovan Clingan, who had a promising rookie season after being selected with the seventh pick. Clingan averaged 6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game in 2024-25. The Trail Blazers' cutting ties with Deandre Ayton was a sign of their belief in Clingan. They're backing him to take some strides once he has some more experience under his belt, and he does have the tools to become a force on the defensive end. In all, that's an intriguing starting lineup. Bench PG - Scoot Henderson, Caleb Love SG - Toumani Camara, Rayan Rupert SF - Matisse Thybulle, Cidy Sissoko PF - Jerami Grant, Kris Murray C - Robert Williams III, Yang Hansen The Blazers would have a solid bench unit along with that starting five as well. Scoot Henderson, the third pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, showed promise as a sophomore. With Lillard set to miss an extended period of time, Henderson will get a fair bit of playing time to perhaps even stake his claim as a starter, and he is certainly one to keep an eye on here. Toumani Camara and Matisse Thybulle are two excellent defensive options, and the former was a starter last season. Camara made the All-Defensive Second Team in 2025 and could well end up keeping his place in the lineup once Lillard returns. Jerami Grant, meanwhile, can provide a scoring punch off the bench, and a healthy Robert Williams III is a great anchor on defense. As for Yang Hansen, he has been making waves in the Summer League, and it will be interesting to see his progression during his rookie season. Thybulle and Williams could be gone by the time Lillard returns, but this would still be an effective bench unit without them. Conclusion Is this Trail Blazers roster good enough for them to become a serious title contender? Almost certainly not. If this were Lillard in his prime, you would perhaps give them a shot, but he won't be the same. That, in turn, means someone like Sharpe would have to take a major leap for the Trail Blazers to get into the mix. Avdija will also need to keep up that stellar level of play post the break, and, at this point, it's hard to say if either of those things will happen. The Trail Blazers have a lot of good pieces, but they're missing that superstar that you need to become a title contender. You can make a lot of noise without one and even get into the playoffs, but a championship is beyond reach at the story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sharpe Dunk Ranked Fifth Among Season Plays
Photo byPortland Trail Blazers wing Shaedon Sharpe blew up the internet on February 26 when he unleashed a monster dunk against the Washington Wizards in the nation's capital. The dunk was not forgotten by the NBA's social media account, who named the effort the fifth-best play of the 2024-25 season: Advertisement The highlighted started with a Sharpe steal off an inbounds pass at the start of the second quarter before the Canadian detonated over Washington's Justin Champagnie. The Blazers went on to win the game 129-121 as Sharpe led all scorers with 36 points, 8 boards, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block off the bench. Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson both registered 16 points while Jerami Grant logged 15 points. The dunk ranked behind a Nikola Jokic three-quarter court shot, a Trae Young half court buzzer beater, two Ja Morant 360-degree plays, and Josh Giddey's half-court game winner. More from
Washington Post
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Shaedon Sharpe scores 36 as Trail Blazers keep postseason hope alive with a 112-103 win over Raptors
TORONTO — Shaedon Sharpe scored 36 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers past the Toronto Raptors 112-103 on Thursday night. Sharpe, from London, Ontario, was in an all-Canadian backcourt with Toronto's Dalano Banton as Portland (34-43) won back-to-back games to keep its Western Conference postseason hopes alive. Sharpe added six rebounds and five assists. Banton added 23 points.
Associated Press
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Shaedon Sharpe scores 36 as Trail Blazers keep postseason hope alive with a 112-103 win over Raptors
TORONTO (AP) — Shaedon Sharpe scored 36 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers past the Toronto Raptors 112-103 on Thursday night. Sharpe, from London, Ontario, was in an all-Canadian backcourt with Toronto's Dalano Banton as Portland (34-43) won back-to-back games to keep its Western Conference postseason hopes alive. Sharpe added six rebounds and five assists. Banton added 23 points. Deni Avdija finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds for Trail Blazers, who trail idle Sacramento, which holds the final play-in spot in 10th place. RJ Barrett, of Mississauga, Ontario, had 18 points, five rebounds and four assists for Toronto (28-49). Orlando Robinson added 14 points. Ochai Agbaji finished with 15 points and A.J. Lawson, of Brampton, Ontario, 13 off the bench. Takeaways Trail Blazers: Sharpe was dominant in the first half, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and nine in the second. He didn't slow down in the third either, adding seven more points in the first five minutes of the period. Raptors: Because Toronto's looking at a lottery pick, head coach Darko Rajakovic leaned on his depth with an eye to developing young players for next season. As a result, the Raptors reserves outscored Portland's 47-14, but the Trail Blazers ran a shorter bench to seal the win. A driving Sharpe layup with 5.4 seconds left in the third quarter capped a 17-8 Trail Blazers run to close the final 4:26 of the period. That gave Portland a seven-point lead that held throughout the fourth. Key stat Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups spoke pre-game about the pros and cons of crashing the boards for offensive rebounds. Portland won that battle on Thursday, getting 22 second-chance points to Toronto's 11. Up next ___
