Name: Shaedon Sharpe
Height/Weight: 6’6/200
Wingspan/ standing reach: N/A
Hand size: N/A
Position: SG
Pre-Draft team: Kentucky (did not play)
Tools: Athleticism, finishing, frame
Pros:
- Elite athlete that can rise up quickly
- Finishes well through contact
- Projectable jump shot
- Great frame
- Excellent change of direction on drives
- Uses length well on both ends
- Good cutter with good creativity
- Creative ball handler, especially in setting up jump shots
- Has the tools to be a solid defender
Cons:
- Needs to continue adding strength and developing his body
- Needs to be more consistent from 3
- Right hand dominant finisher
- Doesn’t separate with ease consistently on drives
- Slightly awkward shooting mechanics
- Defense is an unknown; often out of stance leaving him in the dust on drives
Overall:
Shaedon Sharpe is a long athletic scorer with 3 level scoring upside, elite athleticism, and creation ability. Sharpe is a high upside play due to not playing at Kentucky, and only having film from high school, where he was dominant. All the available tape scouts have is from EYBL and high school team games, so in-person workouts will be key in determining the realistic odds of Sharpe hitting his high ceiling outcome.
As a finisher, Sharpe does a good job of keeping the ball away from rim protectors, being a crafty finisher that can extend and finish around defenses with his long arms. Additionally, his explosiveness allows him to be nearly unstoppable with momentum towards the rim, both as a slasher and a cutter. The main area of improvement for Sharpe as a finisher is to get more comfortable with using his left hand at the rim. While he has the skill to finish with his left hand, he still forces right handed finishes often in traffic.
While Sharpe’s first step and blow-by ability leaves a bit to be desired, his shooting remains the biggest swing-skill in the NBA. His jump shot is reliable off the dribble, but the form needs to be smoothened out, and he needs to improve as a spot up shooter. His separation ability off crossovers on the perimeter help him create and utilize his 3 point shot.
Defensively, there is upside for Sharpe. He has long arms, he’s a good athlete, and should be able to interrupt plays with his hands. However, he gets left in the dust at times on drives, and can be shaken off drives with minimal effort to get back into the plays. This can be attributed to effort-based observations, such as being out of stance frequently. This is not unique to Sharpe, as many high school stars take several plays off defensively. If the effort is a high school issue and not a true motor issue, Sharpe’s defense should at least be neutral.
Overall, Sharpe’s draft play is one that only a team with room to gamble on high upside with minimal immediate impact can afford to take. If he develops into a high-end outcome, he can be an athletic 3 level scorer with good length, which should automatically yield top 10 value in this draft.
A raw, high upside guard, Shaedon Sharpe reclassified into being eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft by early-enrolling to Kentucky, despite playing a game there this season. Below is his full scouting report:
Similar to: Jalen Green
Projected draft range: 5-10
Expected role: 3 level scoring shooting guard that can pass out of drives and thrive in transition/quick offense.
Unplayable if: Jump shooting doesn’t evolve into more than average, and his lack of blow-by ability limits his scoring within 10 feet. Additionally, a bad outcome lies in his defense plummeting in the NBA.
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shooting translates at a high level, and his slashing ability cleanly translates up from high school to NBA.
Videos:
EYBL Shot chart:
