Shaedon Sharpe Scouting Report: Stats, NBA Draft Ranking, Highlights, Comparison

Shaedon Sharpe currently holds a ranking of fourth on my 2022 NBA Draft Big Board, even though he logged no collegiate minutes and the highlights we have available to evaluate are scarce. Sharpe enrolled mid-season at Kentucky but did not play for the Wildcats. Below, I cover Sharpe’s strengths, weaknesses, NBA player comparison, and measurements, so check it out and see why he is so high on my Big Board!

Shaedon Sharpe Scouting Report

Sharpe is the hardest player to scout in this season’s draft because we have no footage of him playing college basketball or even at the NBA Combine in the 5v5s like Leonard Miller. The only footage we can dissect is him playing in the AAU circuit last year, high school basketball, and the occasional workout video conveniently dropped whenever Sharpe’s camp needs to reignite the hype. Sharpe weighed the idea of returning to college next season, but with the momentum around his draft stock, there is no reason to risk it; you can’t blame him. The risk-reward ratio is significantly disproportionate because all he can do is go from a legitimate Top Ten pick to the first overall selection next year with a great season. However, he would run the risk of an injury or mediocre season and drop substantially from this spot. Sharpe maintains all the qualities of a future star in the NBA, from his silky smooth jump shot to his freakish vertical athleticism.

Age: 19
Height: 6’5.25”
Weight: 198 lbs
Wingspan: 6’11.5”
Position: SG
College: Kentucky

Strengths: Sharpe projects as a potential primary scorer at the next level. He has superb vertical athleticism (a rumored 48-49 inch vertical leap), a pure shooting stroke, the ability to create separation off the dribble using his size, frame, and change of speed prowess, and skilled, contested shot-making. Additionally, Sharpe can work out of the mid-post against smaller guards and has shown a capable fadeaway jump shot and a knack for spinning off guys down low.

Weaknesses: A few areas that Sharpe can continue to improve would be his defensive consistency and his craft finishing around the rim. When Sharpe penetrates the lane, he will inevitably be met by much taller, longer, and more athletic bigs than he is used to playing against, considering he didn’t log any collegiate minutes. Once that happens, he will have to learn to not only rely on his vertical ability but also learn how to scoop, fake and use spin off the glass to finish around bigs.

Shaedon Sharpe Stats

College Stats: N/A

Shaedon Sharpe NBA Draft Ranking, Team Fit, Landing Spot

Draft Ranking: 4

Team Fit: There’s virtually no chance of Orlando or Oklahoma City picking Sharpe with the first or second pick, so we will evaluate other potential fits. Sharpe would fit in well in Detroit because it desperately needs scoring and a reliable guard next to Cade Cunningham. Cunningham is a capable scorer but a superb playmaker and Sharpe would complement that with his scoring ability.

Landing Spot: Sacramento has been rumored to love Sharpe with its fourth pick, but it also isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Sharpe to drop to tenth or eleventh in this draft. Sharpe probably has the most volatility of any top ten-caliber player regarding his potential landing spot. I don’t see Sharpe falling past New York at eleven, so his landing spot is between the fourth and eleventh pick.

Shaedon Sharpe NBA Comparison: Paul George/C.J. McCollum Hybrid

Sharpe is one of the more complex players to compare to a current or former NBA player in this draft. I’ve seen comparisons to a more athletic Brandon Roy, which is a fair comparison. Additionally, he has the craft in isolation of a player like C.J. McCollum or Paul George (maybe a hybrid of the two.) Combine that with the vertical athleticism of someone like Anthony Edwards and that is Shaedon’s comp. Sharpe is the biggest boom or bust player, but if he reaches his ceiling, he could be the best player in this draft and a potential MVP-caliber player.

Shaedon Sharpe Highlights

As I addressed several times above, there is not much to watch in terms of Sharpe highlights. I’m going to embed a workout video for Sharpe that got a ton of traction and generated a lot of hype. While workout videos are far from proof of a player’s game translating to the highest level of basketball on the planet, a few traits and skills can excite scouts and executives. Check out how Sharpe changes his pace to disrupt the defender’s rhythm and create space. Sharpe’s isolation moves are unpredictable and surgical; defenders are genuinely on an island when he has the ball. It’s clear that he has a smooth jump shot and will be a tough shot-maker at the next level.