Trying to get to the bottom of the Trail Blazers' unsolved mystery: Shaedon Sharpe

In his third season and not starting for a non-playoff team, what's up with that?

I’ve spent a few days calling/texting friends who have been around the NBA for a while to try to get a better idea of what to think of Shaedon Sharpe. It was a mix of scouts, front-office types and ex-players who have a good feel for talent. And I’m here today, from a location far away from the nasty Portland weather, to relay some of those thoughts, anonymously, for obvious reasons.

Sharpe is a player with obvious physical skills leading to great potential, who is in his third year in the league, but not a starter on a team that has no reasonable chance to be a playoff contender. And how concerning is it that his three-point shooting percentage has gone down every season, from a high of .360 as a rookie to .318 this season?

What’s up with that? He makes spectacular dunks and has hit big jump shots. But his defense has been questioned publicly by his coach and he seems to wander at times on offense. He was a mystery when he was drafted after not playing through an entire college season and remains a mystery to this day.

Is Shaedon sharp or not?