Despite Shaedon Sharpe’s struggles, the Portland Trail Blazers’ offense has been impressive to start the 2025-26 season. Now that they are working within Tiago Splitter’s system, the team is finding ways to get big wins.
How the Players are Solving the Trail Blazers’ Offensive Issues
Before the 2025-26 season started, most Portland Trail Blazers fans questioned their offensive firepower. Everyone knew that this team would be a defensive team because the Blazers’ offense lacked dynamic players.
The Blazers have Shaedon Sharpe, who has the potential to be a top scorer. However, Sharpe’s struggles are evident, scoring 16.8 points per game on an abysmal 30.7% from the field. This was not the Sharpe that the Blazers were hyping up during training camp.
Despite that, the Blazers have a 2-2 record to start the season, while scoring 120.5 points a night. This is a small sample size, but the Blazers are doing well without relying on one guy to lead them. It is a great way to meet the hype of possibly competing for a postseason spot.
The Players are Improving the Blazers’ Offense by Committee
The team is now playing within interim head coach Tiago Splitter’s system. While it has only been three games under his leadership, the Blazers are showing promise. They have found the right dynamic between the players, as Jerami Grant is playing as the super sixth man.
Portland’s starting lineup consists of Jrue Holiday, Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan. They have a strong dynamic because they are decent offensive players who can also defend at a high level.
This was the plan since the offseason when Billups was in charge. Now, Splitter is carrying that over into his system, as he wants to maximize the lineups every game. That has led to some early substitutions after only five minutes played in the first quarter.
Took care of business 💼
Full photo gallery: https://t.co/R0crMFlAiX pic.twitter.com/OW6ZW3Cb4w
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 28, 2025
Splitter wants everyone fresh during the game, so he likes switching the minutes around. That has led to Grant and Sharpe playing similar minutes despite the former playing off the bench. Splitter has also opted to utilize a small-ball lineup that is essentially the starters with Grant in Clingan’s place.
They might not have the superstar player, but they are scoring by committee. Avdija, Grant, and Sharpe are all decent offensive players, so they have done their best to work together.
Sharpe’s Struggles Should End Sometime Soon
Seen as the player with the most potential to become a star, Sharpe has been disappointing. He is putting up a decent number of points, but he has been inefficient. Across the four games, he is shooting 30.7% from the field and 16.7% from three-point range.
As the supposed featured scorer, he is not playing his best basketball so far. Within Splitter’s system, Sharpe can benefit from being more of a slasher than a shooter. Unfortunately, he tends to settle for step-back jump shots.
To remedy this issue, Splitter and the coaching staff must motivate him to keep driving into the paint. Sharpe has the athleticism to pull that off, as he can draw fouls and dunk on the rim protectors.
With Damian Lillard back on the roster, he can communicate better with Sharpe. Lillard was Sharpe’s mentor during the 2022-23 season, which was his most efficient year. Sharpe showcased potential then, as he shot 47.2% from the field and 36% from long range during his rookie season.
The Blazers Can Be Competitive on Both Ends
The defensive play style is a significant part of how the Blazers play basketball. They know they have transition threats with Avdija and Sharpe, chief among them. The Blazers’ offense benefits from them playing hard-nosed defense.
File this in "it's early but:" Blazers have been a crazy inbounds pressure team this yr.
-Pressing on 24% of their possessions
-Pacers led the NBA last yr at 12.7%.Blazers have gotten early season praise for being tough to play against. No. 7 defense in the league rn. pic.twitter.com/Gz92s0p8jV
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 27, 2025
Splitter wants to maintain this style moving forward because it takes advantage of their strengths. With Holiday and Camara on the perimeter and Clingan taking care of the paint, this team has promise.
The Oklahoma City Thunder is the gold standard for modern-day defensive systems. However, the Blazers have a blueprint to be an elite defensive side, too. It will be challenging to balance the strong defense with an offense that’s still improving. The challenge is on Splitter and his players, if they can execute it well.
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
