Who is Shaedon Sharpe?!


    

    Who is Shaedon Sharpe?! Well, he is possibly the best prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft that no one has heard of. The 6'6 shooting guard did not play one minute this past season at the University of Kentucky, although he was enrolled. Due to his potential based on his pre-collegiate enrollment, measurements, shot creating skills, athleticism, and production at Kentucky practices, the 18 year-old (will be 19 on May 30th) is predicted to be a lottery pick. According to ESPN's 2022 NBA Mock Draft, Sharpe is predicted to be the #6 pick going to Portland. Obviously, we don't know what the results of the draft lottery will be, but ESPN is confirmed to believe that Sharpe will be a top 10 pick. 

    Shaedon Sharpe is a super intriguing prospect. Like I said before, standing at 6'6, he is a big guard, who uses his athleticism and offensive skillset to create scoring opportunities on the court. According to The Sports Rush, "NBA Draft prospect Shaedon Sharpe has a vertical of 49 inches", which is 1 inch higher than your Airness, Michael Jeffrey Jordan's, vertical height. If that doesn't at least make you a little bit interested to know more about this unknown player, then I don't know what will. 

    Sharpe was originally a part of Kentucky's 2022 recruiting class, but he decided to enroll early in order to get a leg up on most incoming freshman. If high school seniors have already met graduation requirements before the spring semester of their senior year, they can elect to graduate in the fall and enroll in college in the spring semester, instead of having to wait for the fall. They then use their redshirt year in the spring and just practice with the team during that semester. Most athletes do this, because enrolling in college early gives them the opportunity to practice against bigger, more athletic athletes. It gets them more accustomed to the college life style, they can work out with the assistant coaches on staff, etc. Basically, it prepares them sooner for their freshman season. This shows that when it comes to mindset, Sharpe is definitely motivated to become the best basketball player he can. 

    I was able to watch film on the young prospect and its evident that the talent is there. Like I said before, he's a big guard that can fly. He shoots the ball well from deep and mid range, and he likes to use an array of side steps, step backs, and change of direction moves to get to his spots. Based on the film I watched, I would like to see him finish around the rim better through contact and contest. In high school he is an out of this world athlete, but in the NBA there will be other athletes and 7 footers who can hang with him at the rim. Another aspect of his game I would like to see him improve is his motor. He plays hard enough, but I feel like he has another gear that he can get to. Sharpe reminds me of a taller, more NBA-bodied Jalen Green. He is not quite as explosive as Jalen getting off the ground or getting around defenders, but his athleticism is still more than enough for him to get space from his defenders. Lastly, he has really promising scoring potential, but I would like to see him impact the game in other ways.

    I do believe the intrigue surrounding Shaedon Sharpe is valid and he is a worthy lottery pick. Whether or not he will be a good player in the NBA remains to be seen, but this mysterious prospect, who basically is going straight from high school to the NBA, definitely has a chance to be great.



https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/33795097/2022-nba-mock-draft-teams-pick-based-latest-nba-lottery-projections

https://thesportsrush.com/nba-news-how-does-michael-jordan-still-have-the-record-for-the-highest-vertical-at-48-inches-nba-draft-prospect-shaedon-sharpe-has-a-vertical-of-49-inches-and-nba-twitter-is-awestruck/

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