Indeed. He has been a really pleasant surprise. Everything about his game is better than advertised. I don't think any Trailblazers fans were expecting him to get any playing time but the Payton injury is a blessing in disguise. Unlike many inexperienced rookies the games seems to have already slowed down for him and he makes everything look so effortless.MemphisX wrote:Sharpe looks even better than I could have imagined this early.
Athletically, his first step is plenty good and his second jump is outstanding. He is one of those rare guys like Kobe, Carter or Ja who are score high both on measurable and functional athleticism.
Offensively, his shooting touch is smooth, compact and consistent. His foot-work and ball-handling are already good and it's not hard to envision him learning the nuances from Lillard and Simons. He has a good sense of positioning and times his cuts well.
Defensively, his positioning is less good and he is more reliant on athleticism. His effort is outstanding though and his second jump creates a lot of havoc under the rim and allows him to rebound a lot better than his size would indicate. It'll be fun to see what kind of defensive line-ups this Blazers team can put on the court once Payton returns. The thought of a GP, Hart, Sharpe, Grant and Winslow unit has me giddy.