Brooklyn’s new starting center role belongs to Day’Ron Sharpe, and the early read on his first preseason stretch is clear: the job comes with more minutes, more responsibility and a whole lot more attention from the officials.
With Nic Claxton shipped to the Chicago Bulls this offseason in the trade that brought Julius Randle to Brooklyn, Sharpe is the man stepping into the starting spot for the first time in his six-year NBA career. He’s not pretending the transition is small.
"I haven't been a starter in the NBA. I've started some games over these past seasons, but as the refs get to learn me more, hopefully the whistle goes the other way," Sharpe said after Friday's practice.
That foul line has already been part of the conversation. In the Nets’ 144-128 preseason finale loss to the Miami Heat, Sharpe put up 11 points and six rebounds, but spent much of the night managing foul trouble.
He said the goal is to tighten that up, especially with the season approaching and the margin for error shrinking. "As you see in the playoffs, they really don't call a lot of stuff, so that's our main objective.
But, we got to get there first," Sharpe continued. "So, just controlling myself during the games I do get the least amount of fouls.
In the games I do get more fouls, just like controlling myself through the flow of the game."
The 24-year-old is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 60.1% from the field and 67.8% from the free-throw line. Now, with Mo Wagner behind him on the depth chart, the Nets are asking Sharpe to handle the starter’s load and prove he can stay on the floor.
Against Miami, that challenge showed up right away. Sharpe was tasked with protecting the rim against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nick Richards, and Brooklyn as a group had trouble with that part of the defensive assignment.
Even so, Sharpe isn’t treating the opportunity like anything bigger than the next chance to play.
"It's like another game to me, just more opportunity. That's all I see it as," Sharpe said when asked what being the starting center during preseason has been like.
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