Blazers Have High Hopes for Shaedon Sharpe’s Development

Sharpe’s Development Was Clear In The Second Half Of The 2024-25 Season

In 39 games since January 19, 2025, Sharpe averaged 19 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He was rather inefficient with his shooting, only averaging 31.1% from beyond the arc. Despite that discouraging shooting, Sharpe was playing much better within Billups’ system.

Sharpe played better defense during the second half of the season. That was what Billups challenged him to do because he was giving up too many points beforehand. With that development, Sharpe showed he has immense potential. It has always been evident since his rookie season, especially when he’s playing with a good playmaker.

Scoot Henderson had a similar emergence in the 2024-25 season’s second half. Since they appear to be the long-term backcourt partnership, that is encouraging. The duo fits well alongside each other, which means they need more minutes together.

Billups Is Encouraging Sharpe Even More

In the summer of 2025, the Blazers’ players are working hard to take bigger steps in the upcoming season. Billups is also a big believer in Henderson’s development, and he wants Sharpe to keep progressing.

He does not want the version of Sharpe from the first half of the season to appear again. Sharpe’s development is important for Billups’ system and Portland’s long-term future.

“I thought he had a really, really good end of the season. My challenge to Shae was, I don’t want to get back to this point next season. I want to start at this point. I don’t want to take any steps back this summer,” Billups said to KATU.

Thankfully, he has awesome teammates like Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija, who are perfect fits within the system. With a versatile defender like Camara and a well-rounded player like Avdija, Sharpe has teammates he can learn from.

With Anfernee Simons entering the final year of his contract, the Blazers must capitalize on their young players. That is why Billups is encouraging his young players because he sees a promising future with them. This also includes Donovan Clingan’s path to becoming a franchise center.

The Blazers Can Be A Surprising Team In The 2025-26 Season

After the encouraging second half of the 2024-25 season, Portland could potentially surprise the league. After January 19, 2025, the Trail Blazers had the NBA’s third-best defensive rating.

Since Sharpe massively improved on defense during that stretch, Portland is an encouraging team. Sharpe has the most promise from the Blazers’ roster due to his sky-high ceiling as a go-to guy. If he stays locked in during the 2025 offseason, the Blazers’ potential is extremely high. He was always a promising player, but he can finally live up to the hype if he sustains the progress.