Day'Ron Sharpe’s Quiet Rise: How the Nets Big Man Is Carving Out a Bigger Role
Brooklyn’s frontcourt might be headlined by Nic Claxton and lit up by the scoring of Michael Porter Jr., but there’s another name quietly making waves off the bench: Day’Ron Sharpe.
Through 51 games this season - including four starts - Sharpe is averaging 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Solid numbers for a reserve big, but what’s even more notable is how he’s getting them.
Sharpe’s growth isn’t just statistical - it’s foundational. He’s evolving in the finer details of the game, and the results are starting to show on the floor.
A lot of credit goes to Nets assistant coach Juwan Howard. Yes, that Juwan Howard - the former Michigan standout, NBA veteran, and ex-Wolverines head coach - who’s now helping mold Brooklyn’s bigs. Howard has already had a hand in refining Claxton’s game, and now he’s applying that same attention to detail with Sharpe.
Howard recently joined Sarah Kustok on the Nets Pod and pulled back the curtain on what’s been driving Sharpe’s development. The first area of focus? Finishing in the paint.
“I looked and saw that there was a part of his game that we need to work on and improve on, and that was his finishing in the paint,” Howard said.
It’s a subtle but critical part of any big man’s game. For Sharpe, it meant learning to slow down in traffic, stay balanced, and finish with more control - especially after offensive rebounds.
“[During] offensive rebounding when he gets the ball sometimes, he rushes his shot and there are times when he's off-balance,” Howard explained. “There are times when he's trying to score [over] a smaller player that he struggled with.”
Howard’s eye for detail has made a difference. He noticed Sharpe’s tendency to drift east and west when attacking the rim - falling back instead of going up strong - and worked with him to correct it.
That adjustment has paid off. Just before the All-Star break, Sharpe dropped 19 points against the Indiana Pacers, showing off that improved patience and poise around the rim. It wasn’t a one-off, either - he’s put up three separate 19-point performances in February alone, a clear sign that his offensive game is trending in the right direction.
And while he may not be grabbing headlines like Porter Jr., Claxton, or even rookies Egor Demin and Nolan Traore, Sharpe is proving he can be a reliable contributor in his own right - especially in a league where depth and versatility are everything.
The Nets return to action on February 19th against the Cavaliers, and Sharpe will be looking to close out what’s already been a strong month. If his recent play is any indication, Brooklyn might have found something real in their reserve big - a player who’s not just filling minutes, but making them count.