Should we be worried about Shaedon? (1 Viewer)

[Natebishop3]

Shae reminds me a little bit of Darius Miles.

Insanely talented. Lots of natural gifts. Doesn't seem to be obsessed with basketball. I think originally he was a football player. I still think he's going to be a very good player but he isn't driven like Dame. Very few people are.

 

[PCmor7]

Shae reminds me a little bit of Darius Miles.

Insanely talented. Lots of natural gifts. Doesn't seem to be obsessed with basketball. I think originally he was a football player. I still think he's going to be a very good player but he isn't driven like Dame. Very few people are.

Definitely doesn't come off as obsessed with basketball. In fact, I'd say he doesn't come off as being particularly passionate about basketball. He and Kris Murray are two of the least emotional Blazers players I've ever seen.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Agree. If he wants good coaching, gets good coaching and accepts good coaching, he's an all-star. He's fundamentally on the ground floor and still averages 22 ppg. His shot is smooth, it's just inconsistent, like he hasn't had the repetition ... that's pretty consistent in anyone I've ever worked with. You can tell who has trained properly and efficiently and who basically plays just when they have time when they don't have to be there.

Yeah I agree obviously natural skillset is there and his shot is smooth with no hitch or noticeable area of concern. Hes going to improve slightly no matter what but with desire he could be incredible offensively. My concern has always been does he have the fire to do that and why I’ve always compared him to Drexler. Although Drexler was a gamer just didn’t put much effort into off season at least that’s what I’ve heard.

Sharpe is my favorite player just because I see so much potential but….. if they don’t see the fire in him I would seriously consider trading him. Murphy or Gianis would be my target and I have to think Sharpe is exactly the type of upside player teams are going to want. Guessing he has more value to rebuilding team than any other player on our roster. Again my first choice would be to keep him but you can’t wait to long to trade a player like Sharpe if internally our management doesn’t think he’s going to put in the work.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Definitely doesn't come off as obsessed with basketball. In fact, I'd say he doesn't come off as being particularly passionate about basketball. He and Kris Murray are two of the least emotional Blazers players I've ever seen.

I’ve always like players who are even keel with there emotions as long as the fire is still there. Funny when Sharpe gets pissed he turns into the player we want to see every night, just doesn’t happen often.

I said it when he signed the contract I felt like he settled and was content even though I think he could have pushed for way more money, that is a bit of red flag for me

 

[1 Eye Jack]

But, yeah, Shaedon's forced into a role for which he isn't suited when he's initiating the offense. He doesn't have the mindset of a PG or the dribbling or passing. That said, a good SG should be able to do that a bit in a pinch, and Shaedon's skills in those areas really are below average among rotation SGs.

See I differ on his passing skills I think he has them but doesn’t always play under control because he can’t dribble at NBA level

 

[PCmor7]

See I differ on his passing skills I think he has them but doesn’t always play under control because he can’t dribble at NBA level

Could be. If his concentration is on trying to protect his dribble from his defender, he's not going to see the rest of the court.

 

[PCmor7]

I’ve always like players who are even keel with there emotions as long as the fire is still there. Funny when Sharpe gets pissed he turns into the player we want to see every night, just doesn’t happen often.

I said it when he signed the contract I felt like he settled and was content even though I think he could have pushed for way more money, that is a bit of red flag for me

Ideally, I always wanted players that were even-keeled at a very competitive nature. Like, they always hit the court wanting to compete and wanting to win, and they didn't get angry because they knew the other guy was trying to do the same and they welcomed that steel hardening steel.

Michael Jordan is the best example of this. Him and Larry Bird.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Ideally, I always wanted players that were even-keeled at a very competitive nature. Like, they always hit the court wanting to compete and wanting to win, and they didn't get angry because they knew the other guy was trying to do the same and they welcomed that steel hardening steel.

Michael Jordan is the best example of this. Him and Larry Bird.

Do you think Sharpe has that? For me at times he does but I’ve coached a lot of players and he kind of reminds me of that one kid on every team that has all the ability but getting it out of him is tough

 

[B-Roy]

I think Shaedon's best role is in a tertiary role, as an elite play finisher. Think, Norman Powell or the best version of Jerami Grant. Right now he's being tasked with creation because there's not enough guys on the team that can, but on the perfect team, there will be at least two other primary guys he can play off of. Hopefully Dame can be that next year. He's not just good enough to create his shot consistently 1:1, but attacking closeouts, receiving passes on the secondary action - he's been pretty good.

The Blazers are basically paying him to be that. 20-22M per year is a totally reasonable number for that player archetype, so I'm not too worried. He's also young enough that if he did develop on-ball creation abilities at some point, I wouldn't be surprised, but I'm not holding my breath either. I wouldn't be too upset if they moved him in a larger deal, and I wouldn't be upset if they kept him either. I've just tempered by expectations.

 

[PCmor7]

Yeah I agree obviously natural skillset is there and his shot is smooth with no hitch or noticeable area of concern. Hes going to improve slightly no matter what but with desire he could be incredible offensively. My concern has always been does he have the fire to do that and why I’ve always compared him to Drexler. Although Drexler was a gamer just didn’t put much effort into off season at least that’s what I’ve heard.

Sharpe is my favorite player just because I see so much potential but….. if they don’t see the fire in him I would seriously consider trading him. Murphy or Gianis would be my target and I have to think Sharpe is exactly the type of upside player teams are going to want. Guessing he has more value to rebuilding team than any other player on our roster. Again my first choice would be to keep him but you can’t wait to long to trade a player like Sharpe if internally our management doesn’t think he’s going to put in the work.

I suspect Clyde put a lot more into the offseason than Shaedon, or, at least, he put more practically into what he was doing in the offseason.

Drexler was not the type of player you'd show young player to try to get them to emulate. His jump shot was kind of weird-looking. He really was not a great ballhandler. His elbows always to me seemed chained to his sides unless he was dunking or going up for a finger-roll, then he extended like Mr. Fantastic.

The thing with Clyde is, though, that you could tell he played a lot and that he loved basketball. He wanted to make posters. He could shoot a bank shot. See, that tells me he played a lot on his own. Maybe he didn't get great fundamental coaching, but he played a lot of pick-up ball and learned how to make things work for him even if the form wasn't exactly off an instructional video. Bank shots are not natural. If you shoot bank shots, you practiced them somewhere, a lot.

Clyde also was just an unbelievable athlete with an insane amount of confidence. He was bigger than Sharpe, at least 2 inches taller and probably 3. He was naturally strong and could dunk through contact. Speed with the dribble was incredible. He's just lower his head and dare you to get in his way. Running without the ball, filling a lane on the break, he was frightening.

And Clyde played at a time when there weren't the kind of athletes you see today and the instruction wasn't as precise. He was a better athlete than most of the other players by magnitude and there weren't as many fundamentally-perfect players to narrow that gap if they weren't near his level athletically.

The unfair thing for Clyde was that he was a contemporary of Jordan. Jordan was every bit the athlete Drexler was, but he was inhumanly motivated. He got cut from the team when he was little and was driven. He worked on the fundamentals. His shot was picture perfect, just like coaches would teach you. He didn't just defend by reading passing lanes or blocking shots from behind; he moved his feet and made it hard to even get a good shot off when he was on you. He was almost Clyde's height.

Jordan ruined the curve for everyone. He's one of those guys that comes around once in a species.

 

[PCmor7]

I think Shaedon's best role is in a tertiary role, as an elite play finisher. Think, Norman Powell or the best version of Jerami Grant. Right now he's being tasked with creation because there's not enough guys on the team that can, but on the perfect team, there will be at least two other primary guys he can play off of. Hopefully Dame can be that next year. He's not just good enough to create his shot consistently 1:1, but attacking closeouts, receiving passes on the secondary action - he's been pretty good.

The Blazers are basically paying him to be that. 20-22M per year is a totally reasonable number for that player archetype, so I'm not too worried. He's also young enough that if he did develop on-ball creation abilities at some point, I wouldn't be surprised, but I'm not holding my breath either. I wouldn't be too upset if they moved him in a larger deal, and I wouldn't be upset if they kept him either. I've just tempered by expectations.

I think that's a great read if not for the fact that he's so much more naturally gifted than either Powell or Grant. If he stayed exactly where he is, he'd be the player you're describing. I think he has upside that for whatever reason hasn't really been tapped. We see pieces of it now and then, but not very consistently.

If Shaedon's just a "pretty good/very good" player, with his natural gifts, he'll have underachieved. He'll still be a contributor and a big producer, but it'll be a shame because he's got a lot more material just waiting to be put together.

 

[PCmor7]

Do you think Sharpe has that? For me at times he does but I’ve coached a lot of players and he kind of reminds me of that one kid on every team that has all the ability but getting it out of him is tough

Hard for me to say, not knowing him, but, like you, I get certain impressions comparing him to players I've coached. I had a kid that just missed scoring 2,000 points in HS. He just was all attitude, like he thought showing he cared about the sport was a vulnerability, a weakness, and so he didn't take the opportunities to develop his game to reach that next level. I talked to the coaches on my staff about how he was a 2,000-point scorer who probably only scored 250 points in the fourth quarter because he was too busy competing with perceptions than competing with his opponents. Got mentally beaten by lesser players a lot.

I think Sharpe's extremely low-key. His level of intensity just never feels to me on observation that it's at the level of someone who really wants it like most of his peers. He's just naturally better than them. Like the player I used in my example above, he didn't have anyone really pushing him who could compete with him and make him have to be better, and then, when it was time that he needed to be better, he didn't have the blueprint to rise to the occasion.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

I suspect Clyde put a lot more into the offseason than Shaedon, or, at least, he put more practically into what he was doing in the offseason.

Drexler was not the type of player you'd show young player to try to get them to emulate. His jump shot was kind of weird-looking. He really was not a great ballhandler. His elbows always to me seemed chained to his sides unless he was dunking or going up for a finger-roll, then he extended like Mr. Fantastic.

The thing with Clyde is, though, that you could tell he played a lot and that he loved basketball. He wanted to make posters. He could shoot a bank shot. See, that tells me he played a lot on his own. Maybe he didn't get great fundamental coaching, but he played a lot of pick-up ball and learned how to make things work for him even if the form wasn't exactly off an instructional video. Bank shots are not natural. If you shoot bank shots, you practiced them somewhere, a lot.

Clyde also was just an unbelievable athlete with an insane amount of confidence. He was bigger than Sharpe, at least 2 inches taller and probably 3. He was naturally strong and could dunk through contact. Speed with the dribble was incredible. He's just lower his head and dare you to get in his way. Running without the ball, filling a lane on the break, he was frightening.

And Clyde played at a time when there weren't the kind of athletes you see today and the instruction wasn't as precise. He was a better athlete than most of the other players by magnitude and there weren't as many fundamentally-perfect players to narrow that gap if they weren't near his level athletically.

The unfair thing for Clyde was that he was a contemporary of Jordan. Jordan was every bit the athlete Drexler was, but he was inhumanly motivated. He got cut from the team when he was little and was driven. He worked on the fundamentals. His shot was picture perfect, just like coaches would teach you. He didn't just defend by reading passing lanes or blocking shots from behind; he moved his feet and made it hard to even get a good shot off when he was on you. He was almost Clyde's height.

Jordan ruined the curve for everyone. He's one of those guys that comes around once in a species.

I remember wondering how Drexler could dribble with his head down but somehow still make a great pass to open teammate. Guessing he had A good understanding of a player comes to help on defense that the man he was guarding was likely going to be open. Loved watching that team play really should have won a championship or two especially the Pistons series

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Hard for me to say, not knowing him, but, like you, I get certain impressions comparing him to players I've coached. I had a kid that just missed scoring 2,000 points in HS. He just was all attitude, like he thought showing he cared about the sport was a vulnerability, a weakness, and so he didn't take the opportunities to develop his game to reach that next level. I talked to the coaches on my staff about how he was a 2,000-point scorer who probably only scored 250 points in the fourth quarter because he was too busy competing with perceptions than competing with his opponents. Got mentally beaten by lesser players a lot.

I think Sharpe's extremely low-key. His level of intensity just never feels to me on observation that it's at the level of someone who really wants it like most of his peers. He's just naturally better than them. Like the player I used in my example above, he didn't have anyone really pushing him who could compete with him and make him have to be better, and then, when it was time that he needed to be better, he didn't have the blueprint to rise to the occasion.

My step son was very similar and honestly never got his full potential out of him. He has ADD and really struggled with anxiety. He still made 1st and 2nd team all state football and basketball and 2 years at track he crushed it winning 8 gold medals in only two years he competed. He still has state long jump and triple jump record for his school level. Not sure why he did so well in track maybe not the fans around as much.

Sucks I want to see Sharpe just flip a switch but I’ve just rarely seen kids do that maybe as adults its possible?? Really think we have rest of this year maybe part of next year to decide if he’s the future and if we are content with his play or if we want to trade him for max value.

 

[PCmor7]

I remember wondering how Drexler could dribble with his head down but somehow still make a great pass to open teammate. Guessing he had A good understanding of a player comes to help on defense that the man he was guarding was likely going to be open. Loved watching that team play really should have won a championship or two especially the Pistons series

Peripheral vision had to be next-level.

I think you are right, that he knew where people were going to be, he could anticipate.

That's the other thing that I can differentiate between Drexler and Shaedon. Drexler could pass on his terms. He drew help defenders because they needed to make a wall to stop him like teams try to do with Deni now. He creates the situation. He dictates what's going on. Because he's taking the initiative, he has a better idea of where there might be an open teammate.

Sharpe draws help defense from defenders trying to take advantage that his focus is occupied with his own defender. They aren't coming at him trying to stop him. They are coming at him because they think it's an opportunity to take possession of the ball.

Totally different situation depending on whether you are the dictator or the reactor. When you dictate the action, IMO, good things happen more than not. After all, you are imposing your game on your opponent.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Peripheral vision had to be next-level.

I think you are right, that he knew where people were going to be, he could anticipate.

That's the other thing that I can differentiate between Drexler and Shaedon. Drexler could pass on his terms. He drew help defenders because they needed to make a wall to stop him like teams try to do with Deni now. He creates the situation. He dictates what's going on. Because he's taking the initiative, he has a better idea of where there might be an open teammate.

Sharpe draws help defense from defenders trying to take advantage that his focus is occupied with his own defender. They aren't coming at him trying to stop him. They are coming at him because they think it's an opportunity to take possession of the ball.

Totally different situation depending on whether you are the dictator or the reactor. When you dictate the action, IMO, good things happen more than not. After all, you are imposing your game on your opponent.

Sucks because I do think he’s a good passer when he’s controlled and not worried about losing his dribble. Kid has all the tools to be a superstar. He’s going to naturally improve over time just how much is the question. Hes 22 scoring at age 22 in the nba with limited bag of tricks to score. He should easily get 4-5 more free throws a game with slight modifications to how he draws contact and easily add another 2-3 assist per game when his handles improve and game slows down. That would put him in Drexler/Deni type numbers.

 

[PCmor7]

My step son was very similar and honestly never got his full potential out of him. He has ADD and really struggled with anxiety. He still made 1st and 2nd team all state football and basketball and 2 years at track he crushed it winning 8 gold medals in only two years he competed. He still has state long jump and triple jump record for his school level. Not sure why he did so well in track maybe not the fans around as much.

Sucks I want to see Sharpe just flip a switch but I’ve just rarely seen kids do that maybe as adults its possible?? Really think we have rest of this year maybe part of next year to decide if he’s the future and if we are content with his play or if we want to trade him for max value.

Anxiety's a monster. I almost quit college the first week because of it, not because of being unable to do the material. And no one understands it and every individual has to experiment with themselves to find the best way to handle it.

My way was just forcing myself to take chances and do things outside my comfort zone. I'd been embarrassed by a teacher and it manifested as a subconscious physical reflex. I basically had to rewire my emotions and outlook. Kind of like I mentioned with players being proactive rather than reactive, instead of shrinking and trying to be unnoticed, I tried to take control of situations before anyone else, essentially putting everyone on my court. I could be comfortable there.

The track and field thing, if I were to hazard a guess, might be just the nature of track and field. Funny, because I just was talking about this to a really successful track coach who lives near me who used to be a football player at Penn State. We agreed that track was a different sport because it is so relaxed. The school year is ending. There are six events going on at once, so no one's focused on you. Most of the people in your event are more concerned about beating their own PR and they actively will support you beating yours. There's a lot of camaraderie in track and field. It's perfect for a young person that is trying to learn to socialize and dealing with anxiety.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Lots of pop psychologists in here questioning the guy's work ethic when he's dramatically improved in pretty much area of his game every season. He's 22 and getting better. Progress and evolution is not a straight line.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Lots of pop psychologists in here questioning the guy's work ethic when he's dramatically improved in pretty much area of his game every season. He's 22 and getting better. Progress and evolution is not a straight line.

Has he significantly improved his handle every season? His rim-finishing? His scoring efficiency? His ability to create in space? I don't know that he has.

 

[PCmor7]

Progress and evolution is not a straight line.

It's not, but statistics aren't always the best indicator of progress, either.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Anxiety's a monster. I almost quit college the first week because of it, not because of being unable to do the material. And no one understands it and every individual has to experiment with themselves to find the best way to handle it.

My way was just forcing myself to take chances and do things outside my comfort zone. I'd been embarrassed by a teacher and it manifested as a subconscious physical reflex. I basically had to rewire my emotions and outlook. Kind of like I mentioned with players being proactive rather than reactive, instead of shrinking and trying to be unnoticed, I tried to take control of situations before anyone else, essentially putting everyone on my court. I could be comfortable there.

The track and field thing, if I were to hazard a guess, might be just the nature of track and field. Funny, because I just was talking about this to a really successful track coach who lives near me who used to be a football player at Penn State. We agreed that track was a different sport because it is so relaxed. The school year is ending. There are six events going on at once, so no one's focused on you. Most of the people in your event are more concerned about beating their own PR and they actively will support you beating yours. There's a lot of camaraderie in track and field. It's perfect for a young person that is trying to learn to socialize and dealing with anxiety.

Funny you say that about track, I had never been to track meet until my step son joined the team. I was shocked at how much encouragement they give each other regardless of what team they were on. It’s way more relaxed atmosphere and you’re right there are so many events going on you typically don’t get a ton of attention. Really enjoyed state at Oregon Ducks field. I personally only played team sports football, basketball and baseball. I never experienced anything like in my day kids from other schools typically didn’t like each other.

Sounds like what didn’t kill you made you stronger. Similar experience for me grew up with somewhat abusive dad and went into a shell till I played and had success in sports.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

It's not, but statistics aren't always the best indicator of progress, either.

Agreed.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

While it's not necessarily predictive, Shaedon has been way more consistent than Deni was at the same age.

 

[BBert]

This is no way to earn a lottery pick.

 

[blazerkor]

If the "we" in the question that is the title of this thread is the rest of the league then yeah, they sure as shit should be worried about Shaedon but as Blazers fans we don't have anything to be worried about as long as he's here.

 

[PCmor7]

This is no way to earn a lottery pick.

If only another team valued Caleb Love enough to draft him and the Spurs didn't give up on Sidy Cissoko.

 

[BBert]

This is no way to earn a lottery pick.

Not sure what I did, but I thought I posted this in the game thread, haha

I'm sure another adult beverage will help me figure it out.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Shaedon has 50 steals so far this season.
Simons only had 50 steals in a season once.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Lots of pop psychologists in here questioning the guy's work ethic when he's dramatically improved in pretty much area of his game every season. He's 22 and getting better. Progress and evolution is not a straight line.

Isn’t that what you do in forums, share your opinion and get others perspective? I said it earlier Sharpes my favorite player love his athleticism but definitely has some areas he needs to improve on and guessing even he would say the same thing

 

[PCmor7]

Isn’t that what you do in forums, share your opinion and get others perspective? I said it earlier Sharpes my favorite player love his athleticism but definitely has some areas he needs to improve on and guessing even he would say the same thing

Well, if you can get Shaedon to talk.