Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe is growing up right before Blazers fans' eyes. With Anfernee Simons out dealing with a torn thumb ligament, Sharpe has moved into the Blazers starting lineup and put up some impressive numbers. More than that, he's starting to show a knack for big late game heroics: as demonstrated by his game saving block against the Memphis Grizzlies in the Blazers' first in-season tournament game:

Let's be real; only a supremely gifted athlete, even at the NBA level, has a chance at making that play. Not only that, but Sharpe absolutely took over down the stretch, finishing with 22 points capped off with the dagger 3-pointer in overtime. This follows his performance against the Detroit Pistons, where he scored 26 second-half points in the win.

But Blazers coach Chauncey Billups still wants to see more from his prized 20-year-old. In his post-game press conference, Billups gave Sharpe props for playing a good game, but pointed out areas where he wants to see improvement:

Recognizing matchups

Parsing that 1:07 answer down, Billups wants Sharpe to develop a greater understanding of the game and more of a killer instinct. Desmond Bane had been killing the Blazers all night, with 18 points in the first half and a final tally of 33. But he was in foul trouble for much of the night. Billups wanted Sharpe to drive directly at Bane, not just for offensive purposes, but to draw a 4th or 5th foul and force him out of the game for a stretch. While Bane ultimately did pick up a 5th foul, the Blazers weren't able to foul him out.

Said Billups, “These young guys, sometimes they don't recognize the moment. You know, why we ran this and did this switch. Bane's in foul trouble, he's got four fouls, and I'm like ‘this is why we're running that', you know?”

Understanding and exploiting matchups like this is what separates the Gerald Greens from the Vince Carters. Both have ‘did you just see that' athleticism, but only one had a deep understanding of the game. Sharpe has the hops, but can he develop the second part?

Continuing to improve his defense

Coach Billups also discussed Sharpe's defense, saying, “You know, I thought Shae was good. He had some lapses defensively. I think he could've been a ton better…ton better defensively tonight.”

It may seem strange to call out a player's defense after he makes the game-winning highlight-reel block. But watch that play again. Sharpe lost Luke Kennard completely. What he did was amazing, but he needed to rely on his elite athleticism to even get back into position to make the play.

That being said, Sharpe's defense has noticeably improved from year one to early in year two. The Blazers would hide him at times last year, or, when they were blatantly tanking, would let him get cooked by his man. We haven't seen as many consistent lapses, but when you're playing meaningful minutes (and Sharpe played 45 minutes in the Blazers' OT win), the defense needs to be consistent. He does an admirable job when matched up one-on-one, but can get lost off-ball or when dealing with screens.

What it means

To be clear, this isn't necessarily concerning. Sharpe is only 20 years old and didn't play a minute of college basketball. After a rookie season of essentially being an outlet valve on the 3-point line or in the dunkers spot, he's being asked to play big minutes and contribute. He's doing an admirable job, putting up 20.5 points per game.

What we're witnessing is the raising of expectations that comes with the increase in performance. It's clear to all who watch Blazers basketball that Shaedon Sharpe is special. Not just 20 points per game special, but the kind of player that comes along once a decade at most. But ultimately, to take the step to true stardom, Sharpe will need to hone these skills. Billups noted two areas of improvement, and it's no coincidence that they are the kind of thing that matters in winning basketball. The Trail Blazers may or may not win many games this season, but they have a solid young core and need to start developing winning habits now.

Shaedon Sharpe has all of the tools to be a superstar, multiple-time All-Star in the NBA. Blazers fans are certainly enjoying watching him elevate his game this season. But if he is going to fulfill his potential, he needs to heed coach Billups' advice and continue to improve his matchup recognition and defensive skills.

The Trail Blazers take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night from Moda Center.