The Brooklyn Nets have had a lot of positives to hang their hat on this season. From playing surprisingly competitive basketball, to player growth and development, to exceeding early season win-total expectations, Jordi Fernandez and crew have a lot to be proud of. Still, there are some glaring issues with the team that one player’s pending return to the lineup can help solve.
23-year-old center Day’Ron Sharpe has yet to make his season debut after being sidelined in training camp with a left hamstring strain, and in his absence, the Nets have struggled in some key areas. Now with a potential return this coming Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers, the answer to the Nets’ interior woes might be on the horizon.
Day’Ron Sharpe is the beast on the boards the Nets have been lacking
The Nets rank 26th in the NBA in rebound percentage at 48%. While their gang-rebounding attack has been serviceable on the defensive boards, their offensive rebounding has been non-existent. With starting center Nic Claxton on a minutes restriction to start the year before his latest injury setback combined with Sharpe’s absence, the team has relied on a lot of small ball lineups that have been punished on the glass.
Sharpe’s pending return means the Nets will welcome back one of the NBA’s premier rebounders on both ends of the floor. Per Cleaning the Glass, Sharpe was one of the NBA’s most effective rebounders last season posting an offensive rebound rate of 16.4% which was 97th percentile, and a defensive rebounding rate of 22.4% which was 86th percentile.
His return will help the defense clean up and negate second-chance opportunities, while also providing a boost to the offense by allowing the guards and wings to get down the court quicker and also providing the Nets with second-chance opportunities of their own.
The Nets don’t have a comparable player on the roster
Even at full strength, the Nets don’t have a comparable player on the roster. Standing at 6-10 265 pounds, Sharpe has the size and strength that the Nets’ other bigs lack. Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney, the other two bigs on the roster, weigh in at 215 and 210 pounds respectively meaning their lanky frames often get abused down low by bigger centers.
With Sharpe back soon to be back in the fold, the Nets can look forward to him handling those tough matchups down low. Additionally, he will add another layer of rim protection that Brooklyn is sorely lacking. Brooklyn has allowed 49.2 points-in-the-paint per game this season, 18th best in the league, and Sharpe’s return will help greatly in cleaning up that defensive deficiency.
Offensively Sharpe fits the system well
The Nets employ an offensive system that relies heavily on screens and pick-and-roll play between primary ball handlers and bigs. The philosophy is by leaning on pick-and-rolls Brooklyn can find optimal scoring opportunities either at the basket or behind the three-point line.
With Sharpe out and Claxton limited, the Nets have relied on players playing out of position to play the role of rim-runner in the pick-and-roll, to limited effect. One of the primary culprits, Ben Simmons, has hurt the team in this role due to his passivity in shooting when the opportunity percents itself while rolling to the basket.
Sharpe will give the Nets another massive body to set screens. He rolls hard to the basket and showed improved touch around the rim to convert. The gravity of having an effective rim runner will then pull in the defense, clearing up the three-point line for Brooklyn’s shooters.
Whereas the Nets had often gotten trapped in pick-and-roll plays before causing the offense to get out of sync, Sharpe will provide the complementary piece to allow Brooklyn’s primary ball handlers to make the right decisions to generate scoring opportunities.
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Lastly, the Nets’ lack of size and presence on the interior has resulted in the team ranking 27th in points scored in the paint this season at just 41.1. Sharpe as a complementary piece to the offense should help that number greatly, while his offensive rebounding prowess will allow for more put-back opportunities and additional possessions for Brooklyn.
Season outlook
Sharpe fills a unique and vital role for the Nets, which should also make the surrounding pieces better as he provides an excellent complement while letting everyone slide back to their natural positions. Furthermore, the fourth-year center is yet another young piece that may develop further.
In a season focused on player development above all else, having yet another talented young piece is never a bad thing. Sharpe will be a player to watch as the Nets use this season to begin laying the foundation for the next Brooklyn contender.
