Shaedon Sharpe, Portland’s rising star, is officially out for six months with a torn meniscus in his right knee, and that brutal news just cratered what was shaping up to be a sleeper Blazers season. This injury, reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, means Sharpe misses at least through January and possibly into February, a massive blow for a team projected right on the edge of the playoff picture.
Blazers’ Sleeper Status Takes a Crushing Hit
This news could not come at a worse time for the Portland Trail Blazers. ESPN’s NBA insiders already had them pegged for a seventh-place finish in the Western Conference for the 2026-27 season, with a projected 43-39 record. They were lumped into that brutal play-in group, but had real potential to surprise. Last season, Sharpe averaged a career-high 20.8 points in 50 games, showing everyone he was ready to take a leap. The Blazers were looking like a genuine threat with Deni Avdija emerging, the addition of Ja Morant via trade, and the return of Damian Lillard, who missed all of last season battling a left Achilles injury. But how do you make a deep run when your key young scorer is sidelined for the majority of the season? It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Blazers’ faithful.
Suns Still Stuck In The Play-In Grind
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns find themselves once again staring down a play-in scenario, projected to finish eighth in the West with a 42-40 record. They’re right there with the Los Angeles Lakers (6th, 45-37), the now-hobbled Blazers (7th, 43-39), the Golden State Warriors (9th, 35-47), and the Utah Jazz (10th, 34-48) in that absolute meat grinder of a tournament. You’d think after finishing seventh in the West last season with a 45-37 record, they’d break out, but no. They lost to these very same Blazers in the 7-8 play-in game, though they did eventually beat the Warriors for the eighth seed. That run ended quickly, getting swept by the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
This Western Conference prediction also puts serious contenders like the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and that same OKC Thunder in a league above them. The path to the playoffs is never easy, but without Sharpe for the Blazers, and the Suns still stuck in the play-in forecast, the fight for those last few spots just got even more intense. It’s going to be a wild season, folks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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