Nets set to welcome back impact frontcourt piece after extended absence
12/01/2024 03:10 PM
The Brooklyn Nets will receive much-needed frontcourt reinforcements in the coming week. Day’Ron Sharpe is expected to return to the lineup after missing the first six weeks of the season due to a hamstring strain.
“We could see him at some point this next week,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez. “Right now, he’s going through the process of going through contact drills, then we’ll see how he feels after that and then take the next step… He’s doing great. He’s got great energy. His personality is great for the group. Being part of the group throughout the trip was important. He got to see what was going on and see how it felt to be part of the group. Now he’s getting close, so we’re excited to see him back.”
Sharpe’s return is a welcome sight for a Nets team that has struggled to gain frontcourt continuity amid several injuries.
Brooklyn lost second-year forward Noah Clowney to an ankle sprain during a recent West Coast trip. Meanwhile, starting center Nic Claxton has been in and out of the lineup while battling a nagging back injury.
Day’Ron Sharpe’s return will add frontcourt depth for battered Nets
Sharpe emerged as a capable backup center after cracking the Nets’ rotation last season. The 2021 first-round pick averaged 6.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.7 blocks on 57.1 percent shooting in 15.1 minutes per game. He posted a +6.6 net rating in 855 minutes, the highest on the team by a sizable margin.
Sharpe provided a dominant presence on the boards, ranking second in the NBA in rebounding percentage, behind only Andre Drummond. He also developed as a passer and finisher in the pick-and-roll, two areas of weakness early in his career.
The North Carolina product posted a 13.4 assist percentage, ranking in the 75th percentile among NBA big men, per Cleaning the Glass. He shot a career-high 69 percent at the rim, per Basketball Reference.
Wanted to quickly highlight this play from Day'Ron Sharpe last night.
Outworking three Wizards for an offensive board before dropping a slick dime to Cam Johnson. Sharpe is a different player this season. pic.twitter.com/b67CJ2LwRm
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) December 9, 2023
This is probably the best move I've seen from Day'Ron Sharpe in his NBA career.
Sharpe establishing himself as a solid backup center is an under-discussed Nets storyline this season. pic.twitter.com/XnCBwQ4gdo
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) December 3, 2023
Defensively, he looked more comfortable guarding in space while shifting between drop coverage and switch-heavy schemes.
Sharpe’s return will force Fernandez to make several rotation decisions. The head coach has split up Claxton and Ben Simmons’ minutes this season, opting to play the latter in a five-out system to minimize spacing concerns. He’ll now have another non-shooting center to consider when crafting lineups involving Simmons.
Sharpe is one of several Nets under a microscope this season. After pivoting to a rebuild, general manager Sean Marks is attempting to determine which players will be part of the team’s long-term plans. The fourth-year center will be a restricted free agent this summer after failing to reach a rookie-scale extension with Brooklyn.
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