Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard says Shaedon Sharpe would have beat him at 1-on-1 when he was 19, but ‘We probably would have gotten into a fight’

Damian Lillard has been the Portland Trail Blazers’ best player since 2015, when LaMarcus Aldridge left for San Antonio.

But Lillard admitted Monday that 19-year-old rookie Shaedon Sharpe is better. Well, better than the 19-year-old version of Lillard, anyway.

“Me at 19 versus Shaedon? Shaedon,” Lillard said Monday, following the Blazers’ morning shootaround ahead of their preseason opener against the LA Clippers at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

Then Lillard added that such a game could have led to a physical altercation.

“He would have had a hard time because we probably would have gotten into a fight,” Lillard said, smiling. “When I was 19, I was a different individual.”

The bottom line for Lillard, who grew up in Oakland, California, is that the 6-foot-6 Sharpe — whom the Blazers selected No. 7 overall during the 2022 NBA Draft — is ahead of where Lillard was when he was a 19-year-old freshman at Weber State.

“He’s way more talented than I was and bigger and probably stronger,” the 6-2 Lillard said.

But Lillard has never been one to back down. So, had he been losing in a 1-on-1 matchup, things might have turned physical.

“You know, that fight, when I was 19, I was willing to do whatever about it,” Lillard said. “So, there ain’t no tellin’.”

Sharpe, who didn’t play last season at Kentucky and saw only five minutes during summer league because of injury, is expected to see extensive action Monday.

Lillard said he is looking forward to see Sharpe gain experience, but also is remaining patient with the rookie’s development.

“The talent has been shining through since he’s been here,” Lillard said. “He is a good listener. He’s humble. He does everything hard and you see him making strides every day. He’s picking things up quick. That’s the encouraging thing for me. But I’m not in a rush to be like, ‘What is he going to be like in the first preseason game,’ like everybody else probably is.”

Lillard added that Sharpe is making a big jump into the NBA.

“He hasn’t played in a game since high school,” Lillard said. “College is a different level from high school and the NBA is the highest level of all of them. So, you’ve got to be patient and give him an opportunity to figure it out. Then you’ll start to see what we see.”

-- Aaron Fentress reported from Seattle, Washington.

-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).

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