NBA
Portland’s head coach Chauncey Billups praised rookie SG Shaedon Sharpe for his career-high night vs the Thunder
![Shaedon Sharpe pic](https://www.basketballinsiders.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Shaedon-Sharpe-pic.jpg)
With only eight games left in the regular season, the Portland Trail Blazers will not be making the playoffs this season. A combination of injuries and young talent has held the team back this season. Head coach Chauncey Billups was proud of rookie SG Shaedon Sharpe last night after he scored a career-high 29 points in their loss to the Thunder.
The seventh overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft has been exceptionally reliable for the Trail Blazers this season. He’s played in 73 of their 74 games this season and has made eight starts. Sharpe has been one of the team’s better three-point shooters this season and might be used more heavily in the final stretch of 2022-23.
NBA betting sites have the Trail Blazers at (+100000) to win the Finals this season.
Shaedon Sharpe’s last 3 games:
29 Points – 5 Rebounds – 3 Assists
24 Points – 4 Rebounds – 2 Assists
24 Points – 9 Rebounds – 3 Assists pic.twitter.com/LesDwIumVu— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 27, 2023
Sharpe has been a consistent piece of the bench for the Blazers this season
The Trail Blazers played a competitive game yesterday vs the OKC Thunder despite being down most of their usual starters. Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons, and Jerami Grant were all out last night and that’s why rookie Shaedon Sharpe played a team-high 35 minutes last night.
Ten out of eleven possible players were used by Chauncey Billups last night and Sharpe scored a career-high 29 points. He knocked down three of his five three-pointers taken while also collecting five rebounds and three assists. His previous career-high for points was 24.
Head coach Chauncey Billups scored had this to say about Sharpe’s performance vs the Thunder last night.
“I thought he was really good. What people don’t know, Shaedon is really strong, man, really strong. So, he’s able to play defense without using his hands.” – Chauncey Billups
Sharpe has started the last three contests for the Blazers and has scored 24/4/2 in each of those games. If Portland continues to sit their starters like they’ve been doing, Sharpe should get to start for the rest of this season. The Blazers’ next game is tonight vs the New Orleans Pelicans at home.