Should we be worried about Shaedon?

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Rastapopoulos

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Well that was a shit show. In recent games he's been -78 in 198 minutes, which is shockingly bad. And it's not just that he's playing with bench players (so... he's also playing against bench players) because nobody else is as bad as him. He's shooting egregiously from 3, but he's not turning it over at a ridiculously high rate, so I can only assume he's so negative because his defense has backslid. Is he pissed because Sidy's (deservedly) starting ahead of him? He seems to have gotten worse since going to the bench. Can somebody take him aside? Unfortunately he has a poison pill contract so we can't even trade him right now. So somebody kick him in the arse.
 
I have put so much faith into Shaedon once I heard we were sweet in him before the draft. I loved how his rookie year went and thought for sure we had struck gold.

Him getting hurt was a total bummer for me in his second season as I was hoping to see him flourish. I keep waiting for him to figure it all out since he looks like an elite talent with his athleticism and the way he moves.

Sadly, I’ve grown kinda frustrated with him lately with his lack of shooting and how he seems to take plays off or just makes careless mistakes. He’s still young, so I’m not writing him off yet, but I would be lying if I wasn’t at least a little worried about him.
 
It depends what you expect him to be. If you think he's going to be an all-star and see some of the fundamental issues in his game which haven't measurably improved, then absolutely be concerned. If you think he should be a good player who might become all-star level, then it's still probably two years too early to push the panic button.

Being focused on the plus-minus is a mistake. Like any statistic, it can be misleading. Shaedon's game is such that it can really look bad in plus-minus, especially with, as you noted, him playing with a Blazer bench right now that is comprised of G-Leaguers and 21-year-olds. Also, he's coming in off the bench, but he's playing starter minutes. He's not playing against other team's second and third stringers most of the night.

If you want to look at stats and analysis that are more indicative, look at his turnover percentage and usage rate, look at his free throw attempts and look at his 3-point shooting percentage and his percentage of shots that come from 3. His biggest problems, in my view, are that he settles for bad shots and he passes up good shots to create more difficult shots. He thinks he's a better 3-point shooter than he is. There are reasons he gets so many open 3s and it isn't just because he added a nice step-back J.

Also, when he misses, he misses in bunches. When his shot is off, he needs to get to the line and get himself together, which, he has done a good job at doing.

I'm a little concerned with the number of shots he's had blocked this year, but I'm encouraged that since coming back from injury he's been attacking the rim with vicious intent. He needs to be more like Sidy in that regard and it will help him get to the line more. Also, his FT shooting and form indicates he should be a better 3-point shooter than he is. I've said before I see things in his game that only make sense to me as a player that either doesn't play much when he's off the clock or a player that doesn't have a really good training regimen.

When I was in college, one of my classmates was in the gym at 6 p.m. every day shooting 1,000 shots on his own from spots and off moves he'd get in a real game. He did things to simulate passing coming from angles where he'd receive them in a game. He got drafted and played a couple of years with the Mavs before having a long career in Europe.

Shaedon's problems to me are fundamental and could be fixed just with some hard work and probably proper mentorship. His handle is poor for a guard. I've written this a lot. He is too loose and imprecise with his handle dribbling in traffic in the halfcourt. He needs to be able to change up his high and low dribbles and angles of attack. Otherwise, he's always going to bet the ball knocked away. And, since I think his best shot is the midrange, an inability to handle in traffic is a detriment.

That could be solved by playing with a firm objective and in competitive situations in the offseason. I watch his game and I get the feeling he doesn't do that to the extent really good players do. That's when you develop your consistency and your feel for the game, what shots are good and the space you need for a particular move or shot.

Defensively, still a lot of work to do. He looks fine some nights and some possessions. Other times, like on offense, he doesn't look mentally or emotionally engaged. He's a good enough defender when he wants to be, but, like the other question marks in his game, a lot of the time it doesn't look like he really wants to be. He looks satisfied with being a good player and not one particularly driven to take advantage of his immense innate skills to become great.

TL;DR It's too early to worry yet, but Shaedon needs more passion for the game and to work out more effectively in the offseason.
 
Shaedon brings to mind a former Blazer, Nic Batum.

Nic could do it all it seemed, but only seemed to do so every few games. He was generally not a negative but sometimes was someone who would take it over the top.

Sharpe strikes me the same. Doesn't have the drive or consistency to be a killer.

I'm good with including him in a trade. He has had the platform on which to take a leap but hasn't. He is not a #1 or a #2. Just a role player who will occasionally break out. Either we adjust expectations accordingly or trade him for someone who has that drive/passion.

Gramps...
 
Shae is starting to remind me uncomfortably of another ex-Blazer: Ayton. They have opposite personalities, but similar combination of all-world physique and athleticism and indifferent performance.
 
Shaedon brings to mind a former Blazer, Nic Batum.

Nic could do it all it seemed, but only seemed to do so every few games. He was generally not a negative but sometimes was someone who would take it over the top.

Sharpe strikes me the same. Doesn't have the drive or consistency to be a killer.

I'm good with including him in a trade. He has had the platform on which to take a leap but hasn't. He is not a #1 or a #2. Just a role player who will occasionally break out. Either we adjust expectations accordingly or trade him for someone who has that drive/passion.

Gramps...
Harkless was much the same to laid back and it, that drive, only occasionally showed up.
 
I loved the pick and still am excited about him long term, but his post-high school career has left a lot to be desired in terms of staying healthy and rounding out his game.

There's the bigger picture of this entire shitshow of an organization that's spending so much money on injury-prone veterans trying to get a play-in spot while bringing Sharpe off the bench, but I'm sure he's learning how to win by coming off the bench or whatever.
 
I loved the pick and still am excited about him long term, but his post-high school career has left a lot to be desired in terms of staying healthy and rounding out his game.

There's the bigger picture of this entire shitshow of an organization that's spending so much money on injury-prone veterans trying to get a play-in spot while bringing Sharpe off the bench, but I'm sure he's learning how to win by coming off the bench or whatever.
There's a reason he was put on the bench. And if you're a baller, you ball at every occasion. I never liked Jordan but I certainly appreciated his "love of the game" clause in his contract that stipulated that he was allowed to just pull over and join any random pickup game of his choice and the Bulls couldn't penalize him whatever happened.
 
His basketball IQ hasn't caught up with his talent level yet but after this many years, he got paid and he's not a 3 pt shooter or pt forward. He's a streaky midrange shot dunker who rebounds well and can go on a heater. Things Caleb Love can also do on occasion..Shaedon can win you some games as somebody mentioned...he's like Batum that way. Goes from looking like an allstar to not noticing he's even in the game.
 
His basketball IQ hasn't caught up with his talent level yet but after this many years, he got paid and he's not a 3 pt shooter or pt forward. He's a streaky midrange shot dunker who rebounds well and can go on a heater. Things Caleb Love can also do on occasion..Shaedon can win you some games as somebody mentioned...he's like Batum that way. Goes from looking like an allstar to not noticing he's even in the game.

The minute that Batum can average 20+ points per game, or Caleb breathes anywhere close to 40% from the floor...
 
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Tough to watch sometimes. Fun to watch at others. I want to see where he is in 2 years.
 
This can't happen until January 14th, so we have time to decide whether Shaedon's going to come around. (Why would New Orleans do it? Well word is that the franchise doesn't give a shit because they're relocating, so cheap assets and shaving money off the cap might be incentive enough. And it would be hilarious to have Jordan Poole and Cam Thomas share a backcourt.) Nets have to be involved because of Shaedon's poison pill. (oops - that 2030 pick should be replaced by another first rounder).

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This can't happen until January 14th, so we have time to decide whether Shaedon's going to come around. (Why would New Orleans do it? Well word is that the franchise doesn't give a shit because they're relocating, so cheap assets and shaving money off the cap might be incentive enough. And it would be hilarious to have Jordan Poole and Cam Thomas share a backcourt.) Nets have to be involved because of Shaedon's poison pill. (oops - that 2030 pick should be replaced by another first rounder).

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I'd rather gamble on Sharpe's upside, personally, than move him for Herbert Jones. Jones is a good defender that offers little else outside of that,
 
I'd rather gamble on Sharpe's upside, personally, than move him for Herbert Jones. Jones is a good defender that offers little else outside of that,
Well, Herbert Jones has never shot as poorly from three as Shaedon is this season, and his career year from three was 40%, which Shaedon has never approached. And arguably we need reliable three point shooting more than anything Shaedon is currently offering.

(Plus: Shaedon's bad defense can undermine the whole team. Imagine adding an all-NBA defender like Jones to the lineup.)

It's not going to happen (unless Cronin is suddenly fired) but at the moment I wish it would.
 
Shaedon brings to mind a former Blazer, Nic Batum.

Nic could do it all it seemed, but only seemed to do so every few games. He was generally not a negative but sometimes was someone who would take it over the top.

Sharpe strikes me the same. Doesn't have the drive or consistency to be a killer.

I'm good with including him in a trade. He has had the platform on which to take a leap but hasn't. He is not a #1 or a #2. Just a role player who will occasionally break out. Either we adjust expectations accordingly or trade him for someone who has that drive/passion.

Gramps...
Funny, I thought he was supposed to remind us of Clyde Drexler/Dr. J.
 
I'm still holding a little hope for Sharpe, but my grip is slipping

personally, I think he has spent his time in Portland with pretty crappy coaching
 
I'm still holding a little hope for Sharpe, but my grip is slipping

personally, I think he has spent his time in Portland with pretty crappy coaching
Most players improve the most over the Summer, when team coaches are literally not allowed to go near them.
 
Are we forgetting sharpe's age? His play can exceed his contract.
His development curve is not ideal. His three point shooting has got worse every year, and he's still inept on defense. He's looking disturbingly like Anfernee (without the three point shooting)
 
We saw what happened to Simons. His career in the nba is winding to a close. BOS knows he is a lost cause. Nobody wants a guy that is just a good, but not incredible, shooter. It's not enough. Someone on a shity team has to score and POR's are Shae and Deni. Shae would likely see few minutes on a really good team. I would send him to TOR for CMB.
 

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