Of all the NBA Draft prospects, Shaedon Sharpe is the hardest player to scout, because there is zero footage of him playing college basketball. Sharpe enrolled at Kentucky mid-season but never saw time on the court. In order to find footage for Sharpe, you would have to go back to his high school highlights. In high school, he didn’t become a big name until his senior year, where he ended up being ranked No. 3 in the 2021 recruiting class. He had an opportunity to stay another year at Kentucky but decided to take advantage of his eligibility for the NBA Draft. While he is the draft’s biggest mystery, there will be a team that takes him in the lottery.
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Player Bio
Name: Shaedon Sharpe
Jersey: No. 21
School: Kentucky
Class: Freshman
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 198 lbs
Strengths
When talking about Sharpe, the first thing that comes to mind is size. Sharpe is listed at 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot wingspan. At the next level, he projects to be a primary scorer. Offensively, he’s a great slasher and can score some off the dribble. He’s also used to taking contested shots and hitting them. When attacking the basket, Sharpe is good at going right and finishing above the defender in the paint. There have been some reports that he recorded a 49-inch vertical. If true, that puts him higher than any player in NBA history. Using his size and athleticism, Sharpe has shown he can be a solid rebounder. He’s known to be very explosive going to the rim.
Weaknesses
Sharpe’s ballhandling is an area that needs improvement at the next level. Additionally, being more consistent on the defensive end is another area that needs attention. With great athleticism and length, Sharpe has the tools to become a capable defender in the NBA. The issue is he typically takes plays off on defense. He’s not alert at times, allowing the player he’s guarding to catch with a back door cut for the layup. To be fair, the majority of star high school players have done the same things in the past. Still, these weaknesses can be correctable at the next level.
Most importantly, the biggest issue is he has not played competitive basketball in almost a year. Any player can practice with the team without playing a game all they want. However, every player will tell you there’s a difference between the games and practice. This provides a risk factor for teams considering Sharpe with their pick. A team that’s rebuilding and patient may take a chance on him, though.
Summary
There’s usually a mystery player that enters the draft every year. And sometimes mystery players can scare off certain teams. But teams with the patience to gamble on a raw talent like Sharpe will take the chance. In this year’s draft, there are multiple teams with multiple lottery picks. A couple of those teams may decide to use one of their picks on him. If he reaches his potential, he can be a high-level scorer with length. This is contingent on him improving on his jump shooting and seeing whether his finishing around the rim will translate at the next level. Overall, he should not move past No. 10 on the draft board Thursday.
Projected Draft Range: 5-10
Most Likely Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
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