Brooklyn Nets will find themselves at a crossroads with many players this season as they look to rebuild. There is still veterans who could be traded either this summer or before the trade deadline, but perhaps more importantly for the long term, there are young players who may or may not have a future with these teams.
One of the most intriguing players in this second group is big man Day’Ron Sharpe, who enters the last year of his contract before reaching restricted free agency. He was subject to trade rumors earlier in the offseason.
Could Day’Ron Sharpe play a big role for the Nets next season?
Sharpe, a University of North Carolina product, was the Nets’ second first-round pick in the 2021 draft after selecting Cam Thomas only two picks earlier. Since entering the league, Sharpe has played the role of backup center, becoming Nic Claxton main substitute last season.
Despite his backup status, Sharpe averaged just 15.1 minutes per game in 61 appearances, averaging 6.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. Interestingly, as the season progressed, his playing time declined once the Nets were eliminated from playoff contention, going from a high of 17 minutes per game in December to just 13.3 minutes per game in March and 14.4 minutes per game in just 4 games in April.
You would have thought he would have had better luck as a young player with the playoffs out of reach, but the opposite happened, leading to speculation that he might not be a long-term part of the roster.
Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily made a in-depth film review Day’Ron Sharpe’s skills are highly commendable. While Kaplan may be wearing rose-colored glasses, he does raise a few important points. First, Sharpe is an elite rebounder, especially on offense. His 16.3 percent offensive rebounding percentage ranked third in the NBA.
Second, Kaplan notes that Sharpe has improved his touch around the basket, which is no accident. Watching his video, you can see that he’s stronger in fighting contact and getting the ball before exploding to shoot, as opposed to how he’d pull away and try to avoid contact in previous years.
For players who are destined to play a role in the NBA, the key to staying healthy is demonstrating at least one elite skill. Sharpe has that as his rebounding on both ends is excellent and his improving ball touch around the rim gives him a bit more upside. In short, he’s an NBA-caliber rotation big man.
Where does Sharpe fit into the Nets going forward?
This is where things get complicated. While Sharpe is certainly a league-caliber player, whether or not he fits into the Nets’ roster and the style of basketball they want to play is a huge question. The Nets invested a lot of money in starter Nic Claxton, and the rest of the forward line is cluttered with the way the roster is currently constructed.
The biggest obstacle to Sharpe’s playing time is sophomore power forward/center Noah Clowney. Clowney has the ability to stretch the court ability to play four alongside Claxton as well as the size and length to play center. The Nets are committed to developing Clowney as a key cog for the future, so he’ll have a place. The question is where.
That’s where the crowding of forwards becomes an issue. In addition to quality veterans Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Nets also have Jalen Wilson, Trendon Watford, Ziaire Williams and Bojan Bogdanovic competing for minutes at power forward and small forward.
Will they move more of Clowney’s minutes to center to accommodate some of those other players, at Sharpe’s expense? And how does new head coach Jordi Fernandez view the small-ball five strategy? Some of those players like Finney-Smith and Watford can fill that role if the Nets want to play that way, further reducing Sharpe’s opportunities.
On defense, Sharpe is also a bit of an awkward fit. The other bigs, Claxton and Clowney, are athletic, versatile defenders who can guard smaller players on the perimeter while also serving as rim protectors. Sharpe is not a versatile defender, nor is he a great rim protector. However, he is the only big on the roster with the mass to compete with talented low-post scorers like Joel Embiid who give smaller players a hard time.
Day’Ron Sharpe’s Nets Suitability Might Be Tough to Discover
Sharpe’s place in the future will largely depend on two factors. First, how they plan to deploy Noah Clowney, whose development is a top priority. Second, how they value the differences in his game compared to the other bigs on the roster. There’s a good case to be made for him being a primary backup center, but the flip side is that he doesn’t have the skills to play in the system they want to implement if defensive switchability is of paramount importance.
Finally, many of these playing time hurdles can be eliminated if additional trades are made and forward blocking is alleviated. If the Nets move from Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith Before the start of the season, Clowney and Watford will have most of their playing time at number 4, opening up the role of back-up centre for Sharpe.
In a development season, it makes sense to not be rigid in system designations and experiment while giving all the young, talented players a chance to see how they develop. A player like Sharpe, who already has elite NBA talent and is only in his 23rd season, is the type of player who deserves every chance to earn a spot.
