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Finding Upside on the Trail Blazers
Finding Upside on the Trail Blazers

Associated Press

Published
3/29/2023
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Updated
March 29, 2023

It’s been a season to forget in Portland. They will almost certainly miss the playoffs and have shut down key players Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic. With that, lots of minutes have opened up in their rotation for young players to take advantage of down the stretch. That gives us a golden opportunity to evaluate and target some of these players to bet on.

If this is your first time using Mojo, welcome! Mojo is the Sports Stock Market that allows you to bet on a player’s entire career or nightly with our Single-Game Props. The market is powered by Liquid Trading giving you the ability to trade in and out in real time at fair market value.

You can buy a stock when it’s at its lowest and sell for a profit when it begins to rise, or you can play the long game and invest in an up-and-coming star.

What do you think? Are you targeting any of Portland’s young studs, or do you think they’re overrated? Hit me up on Twitter @ZaktheMonster and let me know!

Shaedon Sharpe, $105.17

Sharpe had plenty of eyes on him as a rookie being drafted so highly after sitting out his one and only season at Kentucky, but his talent and athleticism have been on full display. 

Concerns about Sharpe’s ability to contribute more than just powerful dunks and athletic finishes around the rim have been allayed to a degree by his recent performances. He’s been on fire lately, averaging 22.3 PTS, 6.5 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.3 STL and 3.0 3PT over his last four games while starting. 

He’s played a small role for Portland for most of the season, but Sharpe’s future value of $100.49 shows that the market expects him to have a productive career. For those considering Going Short on him as his share price continues to rise, you need to think long-term!

Sharpe’s value has risen 8% over the last week, and it will only continue to rise next season as he gets more run.

The rookie is still just 19 years old and is only scratching the surface of his tremendous ceiling. Invest now before his price soars, and reap the benefits down the road as he becomes a regular part of the Blazers’ rotation.

Matisse Thybulle, $43.07

Thybulle has been in the starting five for 19 straight games and has made an immediate impact with his top-notch three-and-D play. He’s averaged 7.6 PTS, 3.5 REB, 1.4 AST, 1.7 STL, 0.8 BLK and 1.5 3PT while committing just 0.7 TO across those 19 games. He’s an inconsistent free-throw shooter and doesn’t rack up a ton of points, but Thybulle has made genuine strides as a scorer and maye have the upside to become more of a more reliable weapon on offense.

Thybulle’s closest comparison in share price is Nets guard Cam Thomas. Thomas had some monster games around the NBA trade deadline, scoring 40 points in three straight in early February. Unlike Thybulle, Thomas’ biggest skill is his scoring ability, but he’s seen his role reduced time and time again, and Brooklyn’s roster is surprisingly deep following the departures of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

The market expects Thomas to have a more productive career than Thybulle, but I think the latter’s more well-rounded skill set will both keep him in the league longer and help him to accrue more Mojo Value.

Thybulle’s opportunity should continue to grow, and an improvement on offense would send his value through the roof. I think he’s an easy bet at his current price.

Nassir Little, $33.58

Little has failed to maintain a significant role in Portland’s rotation since entering the league. After logging a career-best 25.9 minutes per game in 2021-22, his minutes have fallen to just 17.8 this season. His per-36-minute production over the last two seasons remains respectable with 13.4 PTS, 6.6 REB, 1.9 AST, 0.8 STL, 1.0 BLK, 1.3 TO and 2.0 3PT.

Yet, this curtail in minutes as well as production has sent his stock down over the last month.

While those numbers might not sound thrilling, Little has the opportunity to shine over the next week and a half for a Portland team that’s shutting down most of its key players. Betting on him now after his price has fallen by nearly 10% presents a golden opportunity to Go Long. 

If Little goes bananas moving forward, you can cash out and turn a tidy profit. If he plays respectably without lighting the world on fire, you can hold and Go Long for next season. With Jerami Grant set to hit free agency this summer, Little’s time as a significant contributor could come as soon as 2023-24.

Prices are current as of 3/29/23 at 3:00 PM
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