{"id":536462,"date":"2026-01-14T17:29:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T17:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/536462\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T17:29:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T17:29:18","slug":"mounting-losses-cant-slow-down-sharpe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/536462\/","title":{"rendered":"Mounting losses can\u2019t slow down Sharpe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day\u2019Ron Sharpe is one of the Nets\u2019 most consistent effort players, whether he is coming off the bench or getting an occasional spot start. AP Photo by Brandon Dill\n<\/p>\n

Brooklyn\u2019s ongoing rebuild has had one solid foundation piece in place since 2021.<\/p>\n

And reserve center Day\u2019Ron Sharpe refuses to stop playing at a postseason intensity level despite the Nets\u2019 ever-fading chances of seriously competing for a playoff spot this year.<\/p>\n

Sharpe has led the team in rebounding in each of the past four games, and put together a stat line of 22 points, 25 boards, three assists, two blocked shots and two steals over 44 minutes in Brooklyn\u2019s latest back-to-back.<\/p>\n

None of it put the Nets over the top on the first two games of this road trip, which wraps up Wednesday night in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

But Brooklyn second-year coach Jordi Fern\u00e1ndez never fails to point out the competitive spirit of the Nets\u2019 five-year veteran, who went just as hard when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were aspiring to lead this franchise to its first-ever NBA title until both were sent packing in February 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it was really good,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez said of Sharpe\u2019s performance following Brooklyn\u2019s 113-105 loss in Dallas on Monday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, you saw it, especially enough for a double double right away, I think 10 points, 11 rebounds (in the first 10 1\/2 minutes he played). He finished with 14 and 12, which is impressive in 22 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharpe went 4-of-7 from the field against the Mavericks and buried all six of his free throws. He also grabbed seven of the Nets\u2019 nine offensive rebounds while leading the \u201cBench Mob\u201d to a 36-point collective effort.<\/p>\n

\u201c(He) played really hard, kept that unit together,\u201d gushed Fern\u00e1ndez. \u201cHe set really good screens, (did) all those things that are very meaningful for what we try to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just the points and rebounds. He did a lot of things for his teammates,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Doubtlessly coveted for his services off the bench by perennial playoff contenders, Sharpe may be in play for a potential trade when the February deadline approaches.<\/p>\n

However, the hulking 6-foot-10 North Carolina alum isn\u2019t in the business of looking past his next call off the bench, or an occasional spot start.<\/p>\n

He was on the floor for the opening tip three times this year, including a pair of starts when Nic Claxton was out for personal reasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sharpe led the Nets with 14 points and nine rebounds in a loss at Washington on Jan. 2 before amassing 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and blocked shot and three steals in a rousing 127-115 win over Denver at Barclays Center two days later.<\/p>\n

\"BrooklynBrooklyn reserve center Day\u2019Ron Sharpe\u2019s intense focus is rubbing off on the youngest roster in the NBA, including 19-year-old Nolan Traor\u00e9. AP Photo by Yuki Iwamura<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did great things on both ends,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez said after the Jan. 4 victory over the Nuggets. \u201cHe was the anchor defensively today, from the beginning with those blitzes. \u2026 He was awesome.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though he credits most of his personal success to his offseason work ethic, Sharpe is making an impact on the youngest roster in the NBA every time he leads by example.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a great guy to be around, not just on the court, but off the court,\u201d said Nets rookie Egor D\u0451min, who sat out Monday\u2019s loss to the Mavericks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what translates on the court, and obviously because of his hard work and his dedication to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through his first 36 appearances this year, Sharpe is averaging 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those may seem like modest numbers, but the Nets\u2019 2021 first-round pick is stacking those numbers in limited time off the pine.<\/p>\n

His advanced stats suggest that he would be putting up 17.2 points, 14.0 boards and 5.4 assists per 40 minutes.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn\u2019s leading scorer and rebounder Michael Porter Jr. calls Sharpe a \u201cstarting five NBA player\u201d, and Fern\u00e1ndez is not shying away from using him in that role if the pivot position is open.<\/p>\n

Otherwise, Sharpe is quite proficient at giving the starting five a lift when he rips off his warmups and heads for the scorer\u2019s table.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in the league five years now, so every summer, every day when I\u2019m not playing a lot of minutes, I have to stay ready,\u201d Sharpe said after the Denver win.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever I get the opportunity I produce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BrooklynCam Thomas is expected back from his rest day in Dallas when the Nets visit the league-worst New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night. AP Photo by Brandon Dill<\/p>\n

The Nets (11-26) hope Sharpe is ready to help them avoid their worst losing streak since they opened the season with seven consecutive defeats.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn has dropped four in a row heading into New Orleans (9-33), which owns the worst record in the NBA.<\/p>\n

The Pelicans are coming off Tuesday\u2019s 122-116 loss to visiting Denver. Trey Murphy III poured in 31 points for New Orleans, which has lost 11 of its last 12.<\/p>\n

The Nets won the first meeting with the Pelicans at Barclays Center on Dec. 6, rolling to a 119-101 rout behind 35 points from Porter.<\/p>\n

D\u0451min and backup guard Cam Thomas are both expected to return to action for the Nets in New Orleans after sitting out the Dallas game to rest on the second leg of the back-to-back.<\/p>\n

Tip-off at the Smoothie King Center is slated for 8 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n

The game will air locally on the YES Network<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\t
\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Dallas
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFlagg drives Mavericks past slumping Nets<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 13 |
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJohn Torenli, Sports Editor\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Orlando
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMagic spoil D\u0451min\u2019s big finish at Barclays<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 8 |
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJohn Torenli, Sports Editor\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Brooklyn
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThomas accepting bench role in Brooklyn<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 7 |
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJohn Torenli, Sports Editor\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Brooklyn
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNets\u2019 Porter Jr. gets best of ex-teammates<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 6 |
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJohn Torenli, Sports Editor\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Day\u2019Ron Sharpe is one of the Nets\u2019 most consistent effort players, whether he is coming off the bench…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536463,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3767],"tags":[7,670,247,3803,2299,53053,26565,6,671],"class_list":{"0":"post-536462","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn-nets","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-brooklyn","10":"tag-brooklyn-nets","11":"tag-brooklynnets","12":"tag-dayron-sharpe","13":"tag-jt-torenli","14":"tag-national-basketball-association-nba","15":"tag-nba","16":"tag-nets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115894640408391780","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}