It has been a rough stretch of basketball for the Portland Trail Blazers in recent seasons. In the three seasons spanning from 2021-22 until 2023-24, Portland went a combined 81-165. There were very few who had postseason expectations for them heading into 2024-25, an experience they have not tasted since 2021.
Through eight games, the Trail Blazers have at least proven to be feisty. They have a 3-5 record, with a win in their most recent game on Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Shaedon Sharpe, one of their core young pieces, could be making his season debut on Thursday.
2022 Lottery Pick To Return On Thursday For Portland?
Sharpe Has Been Upgraded To Questionable
The Trail Blazers have been missing the 21-year-old Sharpe from their lineup since opening day. He suffered a small posterior labral tear in his left shoulder in early October. He was announced as being expected to miss 4-6 weeks. That announcement was made five weeks ago on Saturday, and it’s looking like Sharpe’s return is imminent. He has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s outing against the San Antonio Spurs.
Big news: Shaedon Sharpe has been upgraded to "questionable" for tomorrow in San Antonio.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) November 6, 2024
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard was mostly utilized in the starting lineup last season, although it’s unclear if he will return there. Portland has brought out the same starting five in each of the first eight games, deciding on one that provides a lot of height. Starting in the backcourt have been 6-foot-3 Anfernee Simons and 6-foot-9 Deni Avdija. The frontcourt has consisted of 6-foot-7 Jerami Grant, 6-foot-8 Toumani Camara, and 7-foot Deandre Ayton.
Sharpe could allow Portland to have two of their young, dynamic pieces coming off the bench. The third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Scoot Henderson, has also been used as a reserve this season under head coach Chauncey Billups. The 20-year-old started 32 of his 62 appearances last season.
Took A Downturn In His Efficiency Last Season
It has been a while since Sharpe has played in a game for the Trail Blazers. It’s been nearly 10 months to be exact. Sharpe last appeared in a regular season contest for Portland on January 11. He suffered a left abdominal strain in that game, an injury that kept Sharpe out for the final 45 games.
Prior to the injury, Sharpe was with the starting lineup in 25 of his 32 outings in 2023-24. He finished the season with averages of 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. With increased responsibility when compared to his rookie season, came a downtick in his efficiency. Last season, Sharpe shot just 40.6% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. In his rookie season, those numbers were at 47.2% and 36.0%.
In the 2022 NBA Draft, Sharpe was selected by the Trail Blazers with the seventh overall pick. While he attended Kentucky, he never actually played a game in college before declaring for the draft in 2022. If Sharpe were to return on Thursday, he would be the second Trail Blazers player to return from injury this week. Center Robert Williams III was eligible for action on Monday for the first time in nearly a year, although he did not play.
