Stung to the quick, Shaedon Sharpe passed his first test

Shaedon Sharpe started the preseason on tiptoe. After two games where he had been relatively discreet, Chauncey Billups took the opportunity of a game to test his rookie and see what he had in his stomach Thursday evening during the meeting between Portland and Maccabi Ra’Anana.

Well known to the French championship but also passed through the NBA, it was Briante Weber who had the bad idea to start talking a little during the match and to gently chamber Sharpe.

“I just think that’s when you can find out a lot about people, when a veteran starts saying a lot of things”said Chauncey Billups after the meeting. “It even made me angry. At a time-out, I designed a system for him right away. And I told him to attack it”.

The kid ran and missed almost nothing, finishing his match with 27 points at 10/13 shooting! “His reaction was impressive. Obviously, he played amazing. He just showed a lot of his abilities”, rejoiced coach Billups.

More and more “comfortable”

For his part, the person concerned still believes that he is at the stage where he is still making his mark, match after match.

” I wasn’t really upset with my performance “, he slipped about his first two games more discreet. “I felt pretty good knowing that I hadn’t played much in the last year. I am more and more comfortable”.

This third game was another step in his progress and his integration into a new environment. A challenge presented itself, and he knew how to manage it well, responding on the ground there when his opponent tried to destabilize him with words.

“I feel that I reacted well. I have to do everything I can do to help the team. The fact that I didn’t receive a technical foul or fouls made me feel like I helped the team. I don’t really pay attention to what’s being said and everything else. So that’s cool.”

As Chauncey Billups has repeated since the cover, Shaedon Sharpe is “another rookie”. He therefore still has a lot to learn even if he already digests the directives of his coach very quickly.