Greg Anthony’s simple advice for Shaedon Sharpe

During tonight’s game against the Rockets, the Blazers commentary team relayed a message from former NBA player Greg Anthony. His advice? Simple, and thought-provoking: Shaedon Sharpe should look to lead the league in assists.

For many fans, this may come as surprising advice. Shaedon is known for his athleticism, but mainly on the offensive end, as he isn’t well-regarded for his defensive ability. However, when eye-popping athleticism like Shaedon’s shines on the offensive end, it can most certainly translate to the defensive end.

Shaedon has developed some defensive instincts this season to compensate for his struggles guarding on-ball. Often struggling against strength-based creators or quick dribble counters, Shaedon retaliates by using his speed off the ball. He slips into gaps quickly, before using his arm or shifting his feet to force redirects or deflections. He is quick to get into help defense, and swift at using his speed to closeout. Shaedon’s speed can seem otherworldly in transition or when he has an open lane in the half-court, and such is also true when he covers gaps. One blink, and you’ll miss where he slipped from.

Hence, it is not surprising to fans who have been paying attention to Shaedon’s this season when Greg Anthony says he should make steal-getting his focus. Instead of only slipping into gaps when the ball-handler is en route to the rim, he can slip behind them or launch a quick press from the side, like the Thunder’s Cason Wallace does. With his near 7 foot wingspan, Shaedon would holster a natural advantage regarding this skill.

His current average of 1.52 steals is good for 26th best in the league. He’s a steal away from beating teammate Matisse Thybulle’s average of 2.5 steals, whose average is a bit inflated from a low game sample size. The runner-ups are Kevin Porter Junior, Kawhi Leonard, and the aforementioned Cason Wallace at 2.24, 2.15, and 2.14 respectively.

I believe Shaedon can catch them, and additionally convert defense to offense the best out of them. Shaedon is the 11th best transition scorer in the league with an average of 6 points (via the NBA’s website). With another steal and successful conversion in transition, he would jump to 8 points, good for second best behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. His speed and insane take-off ability–at a recorded vertical of 49 inches– make this very feasible. Adding another bucket from transition can also help Shaedon mask his half-court struggles, as the handle is not yet tight enough for his higher volume of ball-handling reps.

Greg Anthony’s advice may seem simple, but it is not easy whatsoever. However, given Shaedon Sharpe’s profile and improvements, this next step for the young wing is not far from reality.