The Portland Trail Blazers have been eliminated from playoff contention and technically have nothing to play for the season’s final weeks. That doesn’t mean they are shutting their young stars down.
Shaedon Sharpe, who has been out since Jan. 12 to recover from core muscle surgery, has been assigned to the G-League to work his way back toward a return, reports Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (which you absolutely should subscribe to). He’s there to get in some full practices (something that happens in the G-League but rarely in the NBA) before returning to Portland, Highkin says.
If this next stage of Sharpe’s ramp-up goes off without issue, it’s possible he could be active for the final stretch of the season, which includes home games in the second week of April against New Orleans, Golden State and Houston followed by the regular-season finale on April 14 in Sacramento.
Even if he plays just a handful of games it would have him on the right track heading into an important offseason for the No. 7 overall pick (out of Kentucky, although he never played there).
Sharpe averaged 15.9 points and five rebounds a game this season before his injury. His incredible athleticism could mesh with Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson to form an interesting guard/wing core for the Trail Blazers going forward.
