Tag: Shaedon Sharpe

Shaedon Sharpe actually hit his head on the backboard on this insane dunk and fans couldn’t believe it

This dude Shaedon Sharpe can really fly

Man, it is an absolute bummer that Shaedon Sharpe pulled out of the NBA Dunk Contest for All-Star weekend because now all of us are going to be left thinking about what could’ve been.

This dude is very clearly one of the better dunkers in the NBA and it’s only his first year in the league. We got a taste of what that looks like on Tuesday when the Trail Blazers played the Wizards.

Sharpe caught the ball in the corner, managed to squeeze by the defense along the baseline and then rose up for a spectacular finish over Kyle Kuzma. 

It looked absolutely epic on first glance, of course. Just look how quickly he rises.

This dunk becomes even more incredible when you realize that Sharpe’s momentum was actually impeded…by the backboard. He literally hits his head on the backboard as he’s going up.

This is absolutely insane, man. That dude is a special leaper. Wow. NBA fans everywhere were awe-struck. Are we sure we can’t get buddy in the dunk contest?

Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe to withdraw from Slam Dunk Contest

Sharpe will reportedly withdraw from the NBA Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe will reportedly withdraw from the NBA Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sharpe will drop out of the event to focus on the Trail Blazers’ final 24 games of the season following the All-Star break. He will be replaced by New York Knicks center Jericho Sims in the contest, which will take place on Feb. 18.

The seventh pick was the first player to commit to the event and started preparing for it last month. He entered the league highly touted for his athleticism and ability as a dunker, and was likely one of the favorites.

With Sharpe out of the running, Sims will compete against Houston Rockets guard KJ Martin, New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III and Mac McClung of the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League.

McClung will be the first player from the G League to compete.

Sharpe is averaging 7.5 points and 2.4 rebounds on 46.5% shooting from the field in 53 games this season with the Trail Blazers. He has emerged as a key player with the team and figures to be a crucial piece to their postseason hopes over the rest of the season.

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Rumor: Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe could be targeted in potential trades

With the Trail Blazers said to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline, it may mean they have to part ways with Sharpe in any potential deal.

With the NBA trade deadline less than a week away, the rumor mill is beginning to heat up as teams around the league weigh their options and examine potential targets.

Kyrie Irving seemingly poured gasoline into the fire on Friday when it was first reported by The Athletic that the All-Star had requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. As a result, the Nets have emerged as perhaps a key seller ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. EST deadline.

Prior to the Irving news, the Toronto Raptors were viewed as a team that could be the most active in the trade market. Sitting at 23-30 and 12th in the Eastern Conference, speculation is swirling that Toronto’s front office could reset a bit and cash in on some of their top players, such as Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr. or OG Anunoby. Though it remains to be seen what the team could be looking for in return, a promising young player or two would likely be atop its list.

One team to monitor is the Portland Trail Blazers.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Trail Blazers are viewed by teams around the league as buyers ahead of the trade deadline. They are just 8-13 since starting 17-13 and have fallen to 11th in the Western Conference. The team is attempting to add players to help it win now and further climb into the playoff picture.

Anunoby is viewed as perhaps the top trade target on the market as a versatile forward that can be plugged into virtually any team and perform at a high level. Should the Raptors make him available before Thursday, the Trail Blazers make sense as a team that could have an interest.

Here is what Windhorst said on the “Hoop Collective” podcast:

From all of the folks that I’m talking to in the league, Portland is absolutely in a buy mode. They are attempting to add pieces. I’ve heard them attached to some sort of role-playing bench players they are interested in but if Anunoby became available, I think they would be very interested. You probably start an offer there with Shaedon Sharpe, their lottery pick they got out of Kentucky.

Sharpe, the seventh pick, has emerged as a key player off the bench for the Trail Blazers this season and is thought to have a bright future. He is averaging 7.7 points and 2.4 rebounds on 47.3% shooting from the field in 50 games. The team loved his addition through the draft and believes he can produce on a nightly basis.

Of course, it is not known if the team would be open to including him in any potential deal involving Anunoby or another player. Anunoby has two years left on his contract after this season, including a player option for the 2024-25 season, so any team that may acquire him would have him on the roster for at least one year.

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The Raptors will hear from plenty of teams if they open for business and will have their fair share of offers to consider. It remains to be seen if the Trail Blazers can meet those demands but it would likely take a player like Sharpe to be in the conversation.

With plenty of time until Thursday, the trade landscape around the league will certainly be fluid until then. The Raptors and Trail Blazers figure to be two teams to monitor and that could mean a promising young rookie in Sharpe would be on the move.

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Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe finalizing plans for Slam Dunk Contest

Sharpe is set to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest, and offered a glimpse on Monday of what he’ll bring to the competition.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe is set to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend, and the rookie offered a glimpse on Monday of what he’ll bring to the annual competition.

Sharpe entered the NBA this season highly touted for his athleticism and ability as a dunker. He has thrown down quite a few highlight-reel dunks this season and dazzled on an alley-oop from Josh Hart on Monday in a win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The seventh pick recorded 19 points, three rebounds and one steal in 17 minutes off the bench in the 147-127 win. He went 8-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and finished a game-high plus-26 on the court.

Sharpe said afterward that preparations for the Slam Dunk Contest have begun ahead of the event on Feb. 18 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has 2-3 dunks currently at his disposal and is working on adding about three more to be fully ready.

Joining Sharpe in the event (so far) are Houston Rockets guard KJ Martin and Mac McClung of the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League. McClung will be the first player from the G League to compete in the event. There will likely be at least one more contestant added.

Regardless of the competition, Sharpe is excited about the opportunity.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Sharpe said. “It is a dream come true. I always watched the dunk contest with Vince Carter, (Michael Jordan), Kobe (Bryant) and all of them dudes so it is a dream come true. I’m looking forward to it.”

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Aaron Gordon will do the Dunk Contest if he makes the All-Star Game, and we need this to happen

This is the best season of Aaron Gordon’s career.

The NBA Dunk Contest is really boring when Aaron Gordon isn’t involved, and the league needs him back in there to spice things up.

Gordon, who starred in arguably the best dunk contest ever against Zach LaVine in 2016, has experienced multiple controversial losses. He has even dropped a diss track about Dwyane Wade for robbing him of a win in 2020.

It would be hard for him to recreate the magic of 2016, but the dunk contest clearly means a lot to Gordon. In fact, the Denver forward says that he wears No. 50 for the Nuggets to represent a perfect score.

Although he has sworn that he will never do the dunk contest again, Gordon recently told SI.com’s Rohan Nadkarni that he would do the dunk contest if he made the All-Star Game.

Gordon would be an excellent addition to a dunk contest that is currently highlighted by Portland Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe, Houston Rockets forward K.J. Martin, and Mac McClung — the first-ever G League player to participate in the dunk contest.

It would be very nice to see Gordon, who already threw down the best dunk of the season thus far, back in the dunk contest. But it would be just as good to see him in the All-Star Game, and he deserves a spot.

The Nuggets are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and Gordon is in the midst of the best season he has ever played. Based on his productivity, an All-Star nod is well within reason.

thinkingbasketball.net

As his rim frequency reaches a career-high (he trails Giannis Antetokounmpo by five for the most dunks in the NBA), his shooting efficiency is also better than ever.

Denver’s point differential with Gordon on the floor ranks as the third-best in the league and advanced stats — like Estimated Plus-Minus — suggest that he is having his most impactful season to date.

dunksandthrees.com

Gordon, who is also shooting a personal-best 37.6 percent on 3-pointers, is a do-it-all forward for the Nuggets and he is integral to all of their success on the court.

He has found a perfect role within their organization and he would be a fantastic addition to the 2023 NBA All-Star Game and the 2023 NBA Dunk Contest.

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Trail Blazers high-flyer Shaedon Sharpe to participate in Slam Dunk Contest

Sharpe will reportedly participate in the Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in February.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe will reportedly participate in the Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sharpe is the first known player to commit to the event, which will take place on Feb. 18 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He entered the NBA this season highly touted for his athleticism and ability as a dunker. He has shown both through the first half of the year.

The seventh pick is averaging 7.9 points and 2.5 rebounds on 47.7% shooting from the field in 36 games this season. He is 11th in scoring among all rookies and has scored in double figures 15 times.

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Sharpe has dazzled at times on the court with Portland and is seemingly a perfect candidate to participate in the annual contest. The rest of the contestants will likely become known in the coming days now that Sharpe has committed to take part in the festivities.

New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin won the event last year after out-dunking Cole Anthony, Jalen Green and Juan Toscano-Anderson in Cleveland, Ohio. Green could be a candidate to participate again. He expressed interest in doing so after losing last year.

Voting for the All-Star Game runs through Saturday, Jan. 21.

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Rookie Power Rankings: Paolo Banchero, Bennedict Mathurin pace the class

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2022-23 season.

Through the first four weeks of the NBA season, the rookie class has put forth some tremendous performances. Several players stand out above the rest in the early going.

Of course, No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero came out of the gate on fire and leads the class in scoring. Bennedict Mathurin is a few points behind him in the scoring column, while Jaden Ivey continues to look electric so far.

In our second installment, some players cracked the rankings for the first time after a hot two-week stretch since our inaugural list came out. These newcomers have seemingly taken advantage of their opportunities and are making the most of them.

To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the latest edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

NBA Rookie Rankings: Paolo Banchero, Bennedict Mathurin aren’t the only first-year studs

Walker Kessler, Tari Eason, and Christian Koloko are thriving on defense.

Now that we are around one month into the season, the NBA’s 2022-23 Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie race is beginning to shape up.

The NBA’s rookie class took a massive hit when No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren was listed as out for the season with a foot injury. But players like Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin have stepped up in massive ways for their teams thus far.

Banchero and Mathurin could become the first pair of rookies to average more than 20.0 points per game since LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony did as much in 2003.

But it isn’t just Banchero and Mathurin who are off to a strong start. Based on their performances on the court thus far, we have ranked the NBA’s exciting and impressive rookie class.

Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe suffered avulsion fracture on finger

Sharpe suffered a volar avulsion fracture to his right fifth finger on Wednesday versus the Hornets.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe has been diagnosed with a volar avulsion fracture to his right fifth finger and will be questionable to play moving forward, the team announced.

Sharpe suffered the injury on Wednesday in a win over the Charlotte Hornets and was held out of action the next night against the New Orleans Pelicans. The team stated his playing status will be decided on a game-by-game basis.

The seventh pick finished with a career-high 17 points and four rebounds in 28 minutes versus the Hornets. He tied a season-high with seven made field goals in 10 attempts in that game.

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The absence on Thursday was the first of the season for Sharpe, who has started in four games. He is averaging 9.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11 games this season on 51.2% shooting from the field, including 44% from 3-point range.

Sharpe has emerged as a key player for the Trail Blazers in the early going. He has been used mostly off of the bench but has filled in as a starter, as well. The injury doesn’t appear to be too serious, so Sharpe likely will not miss too much time.

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Rookie Power Rankings: Paolo Banchero flexing early as the No. 1 pick

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the first two weeks of the 2022-23 season.

The incoming rookie class has had two weeks of games in the NBA and already has produced some remarkable performances in the early going of the season.

No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is off to a tremendous start and is seemingly showing out on a nightly basis. He scored at least 20 points in each of his first six games, becoming the first rookie to do so since Grant Hill (Nov. 4-15, 1994).

Elsewhere, several other first-year players have put up strong starts to the season. The group is looking to live up to expectations in the early going with several individuals emerging as key players for their respective teams around the league.

To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the latest edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.