Portland Trail Blazers introduce draft picks Shaedon Sharpe and Jabari Walker: “We got two really good players’

Tualatin — Shaedon Sharpe is a man with few words.

The 6’6 guard’s answer is usually shorter than the question he is answering.

However Portland Trail Blazers Sharp, who was ranked 7th in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, wasn’t chosen because of a gift to the gab. They chose him as the foundational work for the team’s present and future.

“I’m really ready for anything,” Sharp said at a Saturday press conference at the team’s training facility when asked about his immediate expectations. “I just went out there trying to influence the game. Really anything to help the team.”

Whether a 19-year-old player who spent a season in Kentucky but didn’t play one game because of the Wildcats could immediately contribute to a team hoping to return to the playoffs for the next season. No one knows. Years of injury, trade and tanking.

Sharp needs to win his way on the court for a team with three strong guards, including six All-Star Damian Lillards. But even if Sharp didn’t have an immediate impact, the Blazers believe they’re making potential stars.

The Blazers introduced Sharp on Saturday with Jabari Walker, the second round pick from Colorado (57th overall). They were adjacent to general manager Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups.

“We have two really really good players,” Billups said. “The really talented people I’m really, really, really looking forward to pouring. So I can’t wait.”

The process is about to begin. Both Sharp and the 6-9 Walker will play for the Las Vegas Blazers Summer League team. The session will be held from July 7th to 17th.

Sharp’s landing with the Blazers was touch-and-go on several levels. Initially, the Blazers were in trade negotiations with the team on picks, but according to Kronin, they were overwhelmed by the offers they received and left.

In addition, after trying Sharp on June 15, the Blazers returned happy with choosing him instead of exchanging picks. They weren’t sure if he was available.

“We thought there were some teams in front of us who could take him,” Kronin said. “So, throughout those moments, you’re waiting because they’re a stressful / fun part of the draft and the unknown is so prevalent. Then you hear a particular name called. And when you know that your man is approaching you, it creates that energy in that room. That celebration. That happiness. “

The Blazers believe that if Sharp played in Kentucky last season or next season, he could have been a top candidate for the draft. Sharp has extraordinary athletic ability to go with skills that are unusual for players of his age.

It was exhibited during the NBA combine last month in Chicago.

“We all left there astonished by his abilities,” Billups said.

However, not competing at the college level left a big hole in his resume.

Sharp, a high school graduate from the top three nationwide, said he plans to change his first season in Kentucky to a red shirt and play next season. He wanted to grow physically, become stronger, and work on his overall skills.

“I was just getting ready for next season,” he said. “I felt like I was able to practice with everyone and get to know the system.”

But when his name began to rise at the draft meeting, he changed his plans and entered the draft. It left the only available game video he came from high school and club teams. A similar situation happened when Anfernee Simons chose not to attend Louisville in 2018 and the Blazers chose him 24th overall after finishing the season at IMG Academy in Florida.

Billups said he watched as many game videos as possible on Sharpe, but most importantly, wanted to see Sharpe in action up close.

“For me, I just wanted to see how competitive he was,” Billups said. “As you can see, he’s a very quiet man. He’s a very humble and quiet man. He really reminds me of a lot of Ants. To be honest, he’s personal.”

That wasn’t the case during his training on the court where Sharp delivered the fire and calm that Billups wanted to see. The training included other draft prospects who played in college, and some were fairly “animated,” according to Billups.

“I really just want to see how he treats it,” Billups said. “If he doesn’t shoot or play well, will his confidence be shaken?”

Not at all.

“I was very impressed with it,” Billups said. “He was composing all the time. He had this really quiet confidence about him that I really loved. He was very, very competitive in training. I he I was defensively impressed with his feet. I didn’t see them on tape because he didn’t have to protect almost anyone in high school. But I was really impressed by him. rice field.”

Billups predicts that Sharpe has a learning curve, but he has work ethic to overcome future challenges.

“He has some skills and some gifts that many people in the world don’t have, and he’s fortunate,” Billups said.

Sharp said he grew up in Ontario, Canada, and played hockey as a kid after his family moved to Bel Air, Kansas, before seriously tackling basketball as a sophomore in high school. Sharp then moved to Glendale, Arizona, where he attended Dream City Christian School, where he averaged 21.4 points per game. That led to his name raising the recruitment ranking.

The hiring and drafting process is behind him, so Sharp wants to play again.

“I haven’t played for about a year,” Sharp said. “I love going out there and competing with everyone. So I missed it a lot.”

Billups, Colorado’s starpoint guard in the 1990s, read Walker much better than Sharpe during the draft process.

Billups said he was happy when Forward committed to Colorado. Partly because the former Detroit Pistons point guard played against Walker’s father, NBA player Samaki Walker, for 10 seasons.

Billups has been closely following Walker for two years with Buffalo and believes he is playing professional games.

“He can shoot it, he’s playing with a really high motor, he has the knack for a defensive rebound,” Billups said. “He’s just talented.”

For these reasons, and perhaps at least a little because of college relationships, Billups was excited when Walker remained available for the Blazers to scoop up in the second round.

Walker said he loves the fit.

“It’s not about where you’re drafted, it’s about the fit,” he said. “I feel like I’m at home. I feel this is perfect for me.”

Walker said he did a lot in helping his father understand professional games.

“We just play the right way,” Walker said. “Rebound. I have the knack for the little things. I commend his father for teaching me how to play the right way.”

Landing in Portland was a relief for Walker, given that Walker went through a long process.

“I had about 12 trainings just walking around a lot of facilities and now it’s starting to become a reality for me,” Walker said. “And now I’ve finally settled down. It should soon start to feel like home.”

Walker said his defense, hitting open shots, and playing with energy could put him on the floor next season.

“If they do them at a high level, it’s difficult to get someone off the floor,” he said.

Sharp said almost the same thing.

Sharp said he met Lillard before Saturday’s press conference, and the six All-Stars just told him to work hard and get ready to compete.

Those similar themes and features lead to chronin during the summer. Free agents will start on July 6th.

Both Sharp and Walker embody the spirit that the franchise wants, Kronin said.

“This will be seen consistently throughout the acquisition,” Kronin said.

But talent is talent, and the Blazers need it more.

“We realized we weren’t enough, and we’re trying to get better,” Kronin said. “To do that, you have to go out and get really good players. That’s the beginning.”

-Aaron Fentres | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).

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