Shaedon Sharpe Carries an Unprecendented Skillset, and Big Pre-Draft Expectations
The art of potential. In basketball, potential is one of the most alluring factors of draft prospects. With players as young as 18 entering draft cycles yearly, scouts are tasked with weeding out flashes in the pan versus the league’s future stars. In the 2022 NBA Draft Class, one player has taken the art of potential to the next level. His name is Shaedon Sharpe.
Sharpe, age 18, started the 2021-22 school year playing for Dream City Christian, a private high school in Glendale, Arizona. However, with Sharpe having completed all high school credits prior to the fall semester, he withdrew from the school, enrolling with Kentucky in January. Sharpe never took to the court for the Wildcats this season. But, his flashy play at the high-school level coupled with a bevy of potential has made him a stock riser – and he hasn’t looked back.
Bio:
Jordan Prather / USA TODAY Sports
Shaedon Sharpe is a 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard out of London, Canada. In high school, Sharpe went relatively under the radar until last July, leading the EYBL circuit in scoring en route to being named ESPN’s top recruit in the Class of 2022.
Despite playing 12 games for Dream City Christian this season, Sharpe passed all NBA parameters. He will be 19 by draft night and will be one year removed from high school – playing his last game in October.
As of now, Sharpe is a projected Top 5 Pick in the upcoming draft.
Strengths:
+ Explosive Athlete / Mid-Air Finisher
Shaedon Sharpe enters the draft as the premier athlete in the class. As a backcourt figure, Sharpe has garnered comparisons to players such as Zach Lavine and Jalen Green in terms of around-the-basket activity.
Earlier this month, Sharpe recorded a 49-inch vertical leap. His vertical leap, if confirmed, sets a new record for NBA players as Michael Jordan and Keon Johnson have held the record with a 48-inch vertical leap. For perspective sake, Lavine’s vertical rests at 46 inches while Ja Morant clocked a 44-inch vertical in his combine session.
At the high-school level, Sharpe dominated in all facets of the interior. Off of dump-off passes, Sharpe showcased his standing vertical using a standing dunk off two. However, his biggest pluses come with a full head of steam.
Sharpe found his head at rim level on multiple occasions with Dream City as lob passes that looked completely out of range were gobbled and hammered down by him. As a backdoor piece, he used his acceleration to garner a step and convert on posters, reverse layups, and mid-air adjustments.
+ Shooting Potential
Part of the reason why Shaedon Sharpe has picked up so much steam as of late is because of his limitless potential. One of those facets comes from shooting.
Sharpe was shaky from deep during his 12-game stint with Dream City, shooting a mere 3-of-16 on threes. However, in his EYBL tenure, he went a respectable 28-of-77 (36.4%) from downtown. His EYBL tenure also spanned 12 games, making both sample sizes more on the short side.
Sharpe has a very fluid three-point shot, getting the ball out of his hands in a timely fashion. It’s not a fast release, by any means, but it's got the job done, to this point. He has a wide array of jump shots in his bag, rifling off deep triples, shots off of DHOs, and dribble pull-ups in the mix, among others.
There’s no set-and-stone verdict on Sharpe as a shooter as he tended to place one or two no-shows from three for every shooting clinic he had in EYBL play. Regardless, if Sharpe honed in from three, he’d be the perfect recipe for a three-level scorer.
+ Ball Handling
Shaedon Sharpe is not expected to lead you in the playmaking department. However, his assortment of on-ball moves does make him a viable option in a relief role.
Ball handling comes best to Sharpe when on the attack. Typically, Sharpe likes to make his moves at the perimeter, sizing up opponents with between-the-legs moves or a stepback to attempt to make some separation. If Sharpe sees a window, he’ll pop a stepback jumper. If not, the handling continues.
Sharpe did not play point guard in large sums playing at the EYBL circuit, but he did clock an AST/TO ratio of 1.8 – which is pretty solid for his position.
The ball-handling ability for Sharpe is more of an instrument for his scoring game. As a true playmaker, there haven’t been many key instances of him reading the passing lanes. But his knack for scoring is definitely amplified.
Why the Draft Combine Will be Crucial for Sharpe
David Banks / USA Today
Unlike most prospects, Sharpe does not have a very extensive tape for his last year of work. This is a result of withdrawing from high school and not playing minutes at Kentucky.
Because of this, scouts and executives will be taking a close look at Sharpe’s efforts in the combine drills and 5-on-5 scrimmages. If he chooses to participate in such events.
As showcased in years prior, passing on a Draft Combine invite is not a terrible option. Teams will send out draft promises throughout the three-day event, essentially guaranteeing a gig and salary for the prospect. For Sharpe, his situation differs a tad. While many traditional draft promises are to players fresh out of play – he is not.
Sharpe’s biggest event will center around the shooting drills, as even if he performs poorly in the athletic department, there’s enough footage to back that area of play. Due to his inconsistent shooting, a home-run effort shooting standstill and on the move could propel his draft stock even further.
With the NBA Draft Lottery commencing next Tuesday, it wouldn’t be crazy to suggest Sharpe may drop out of scrimmages if a draft promise surfaces. Though, with his stock sitting on a hotbed – an all-around clinic in scrimmages could move him even higher.
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