Day’Ron Sharpe Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Starting Five, Bridges, DSJ, Sharpe

December 23rd, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Prior to Friday’s game vs. Denver, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn indicated that he was considering making a change to his starting lineup in order to try to address the team’s recent habit of starting games slowly, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post.

“It is really on me to take a closer look if there is a lineup change that needs to be had to get our group going,” Vaughn said. “Like I told you, I’ve been taking data of this group, how we can get out to better starts.

“… When we dig ourselves a hole, it’s a deep hole, and the mentality of starting the game has to hit first. It’s tough for us to play from behind.”

Vaughn ultimately ended up rolling out his usual five-man group of Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Cam Thomas on Friday.

As Botte notes, in Brooklyn’s previous four losses, the team was outscored 121-95 in first quarters, whereas the Nets played Denver to a 28-28 tie on Friday. However, the starting lineup didn’t contribute much to that outcome — the Nets were trailing 18-7 when Vaughn made his first substitution.

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Bridges’ recent offensive slump has been a significant factor in Brooklyn’s struggles, Botte writes in another Post story. During the club’s current five-game losing streak, Bridges has averaged just 13.8 points per game and has shot 30.8% from the floor. “It’s just the way the ebbs and flow of the season go. At the end of this thing, I’m quite sure his averages will be where they’re supposed to be, and he’ll be an impactful player like he’s been the majority of this season,” Vaughn said, adding that Bridges has been strong defensively. “You just go through little patches where the ball isn’t going in for you.”
Dennis Smith Jr. had an immediate impact in his return from a lower back injury that cost him seven games, Botte writes. Smith scored seven points, handed out five assists, and was a plus-nine in 19 minutes during Friday’s loss. “I think his energy and effort are contagious,” teammate Spencer Dinwiddie said. “What he brings on the defensive end is unique to anybody on this roster. He’s an impact player.”
Examining the Nets’ goals for the rest of the season, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) says the team needs to establish some consistency and get some clarity on which players are keepers and which ones could be trade chips.
After another strong showing against Denver on Friday (13 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks), Day’Ron Sharpe is looking more and more like a player becoming a reliable NBA center, writes Collin Helwig of NetsDaily. Sharpe’s development remains a work in progress, but ideally, Helwig writes, it would follow the template laid out by past and current Nets centers Brook Lopez, Jarrett Allen, and Nic Claxton.

And-Ones: Hall Of Fame, Carter, 2025 AmeriCup, McLemore

December 22nd, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has officially revealed its list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2024, announcing in a press release that this year’s group of first-time nominees includes longtime NBA star Vince Carter, who made eight All-Star teams and appeared in 1,541 regular season games across 22 seasons in the league.

Former Pistons big man Bill Laimbeer, four-time WNBA champion Seimone Augustus, and longtime NCAA head coach Rick Barnes are among the other nominees who are eligible for the first time in 2024.

Finalists will be announced during the NBA’s All-Star weekend on Friday, February 16, while the Class of 2024 will be unveiled on Saturday, April 6 during the NCAA’s Final Four. The enshrinement ceremony for 2024’s Hall of Fame inductees will take place on Saturday, August 17.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup will be played in Managua, Nicaragua from August 23-31, 2025, FIBA announced today in a press release. The qualifiers for the event will take place across three windows in February 2024, November 2024, and February 2025. Brazil hosted the last AmeriCup in 2022, losing to Argentina in the final. The U.S. team – which featured former NBAers like Norris Cole, Gary Clark, Jodie Meeks, and Patrick McCaw – placed third in ’22.
In honor of the holidays, John Hollinger of The Athletic shares his “All-Stocking Stuffer Team,” which is made up of overlooked players who have emerged as unexpected contributors over the course of this season. Magic center Goga Bitadze, Kings guard Keon Ellis, Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio, and Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe are a few of the players singled out by Hollinger.
Veteran guard Ben McLemore, who signed with AEK Athens in August, has officially left the Greek team and is joining CB Breogan in Spain, writes Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. McLemore parted ways with AEK B.C. earlier in the month and was said to be in advanced talks with a Turkish club before lining up a deal with CB Breogan instead.

New York Notes: Brunson, Grimes, Barrett, Sharpe, Simmons

December 9th, 2023 at 8:29am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks made a lineup change by choice on Friday. They may need to make another out of necessity.

Jalen Brunson turned his ankle in the final minute of the Knicks’ 10-point loss to Boston when he stepped back with his left foot and landed on Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, according to The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy.

The game was already decided but coach Tom Thibodeau said he didn’t regret having starters on the court at the time. No details emerged after the game about the severity of Brunson’s injury.

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Quentin Grimes had 13 points in 19 minutes after being replaced in the lineup by Donte DiVincenzo, who was limited to six points in 22 minutes. Grimes believes, after meeting with Thibodeau, that coming off the bench could be the best thing for him, Bondy writes. “He kind of let me know to try to get me a better rhythm, get me in a better flow, try to get me how I was playing last year,” Grimes said. “He felt like it was the best thing to do and I agree with him. It’s a good thing. I’ll definitely have the ball more, knowing I’m going to get more opportunities. It could be a better situation for me.”
RJ Barrett, responding to comment by TNT analyst Kenny Smith that the Knicks never have the best player of the court when facing the East’s elite, said the team doesn’t need to make a blockbuster trade. “First, we were never going to be good. Now, we’re good, and now, we’re not good enough,” Barrett said, per Bondy. “I think we do, for not having the best player, we do very well for ourselves.”
Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe had his most productive outing this season in a blowout win over Washington on Friday with 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes. Sharpe, a third-year player on a rookie deal, isn’t lacking for confidence. “Nobody can really stop me on the glass, for real. Just realizing I’m a dog on the glass. I’m going to go at you every play and you’re gonna have to stop me every play,” Sharpe told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I just know that if the big guy is gonna block it, more as likely it’s a little guy trying to box me out, and he’s ain’t gonna box me out. So you’re gonna need about three dudes to hit me, and I’m still gonna get the board then.”
Ben Simmons is feeling better after getting an epidural injection for his lower back and the Nets guard has moved to the next stage of his rehab, agent Bernie Lee told Lewis. “It definitely has helped. And just like time and progression has helped him as well,” Lee said. “He’s been doing well, slowly taking steps. He’s starting to move around a little bit now. He’s starting to be able to run on some underwater treadmill stuff. So he’s starting to get around and move.”

Nets Notes: Finney-Smith, Simmons, Whitehead, Dinwiddie, DSJ

November 4th, 2023 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dorian Finney-Smith is helping the undersized Nets survive while starting center Nic Claxton recovers from a sprained ankle, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. At 6’7″ and 220 pounds, Finney-Smith has been fearless while battling larger opponents in the middle.

“He’s just really stepped up to the challenge,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “What I’ve seen from him is his ability to compete. The majority of nights when he’s at the five, the dude that’s standing next to him is going to be taller than him, and a lot of the times bigger and stronger than him. And so his fight has been the first thing that needs to be acknowledged. His rebounding, his ability for us to use him to get a rebound and bust-out dribble … that’s an advantage for us.”

Lewis notes that Vaughn’s other option was to rely on backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, who’s more physically suited for the position. But Sharpe can’t space the floor on offense and he forces the defense to rely on drop coverage, which Vaughn wants to limit. Finney-Smith is a non-traditional answer until Claxton returns, but it’s working so far.

“I challenged our group,” Vaughn said. “I said that Doe is playing out of position, and I challenged them to come back and help this dude. He’s guarding bigger dudes every night. You cannot leave him by himself. So our group took that to heart.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Ben Simmons has looked more like his old self in the early part of the season, observes Jeff Zilgitt of USA Today. With injury issues reportedly behind him, Simmons has been more mobile and aggressive, and he’s putting up stat lines that are starting to resemble his All-Star past. “The past 24 months, not really having the ability to get on the court, it gave people a reason to pile on, and it gave them ammunition,” said his agent, Bernie Lee. “He wasn’t physically ready to play and was under so much pressure to make an attempt to do it, and buying into a narrative with his competitive nature, he wanted to get back on court and quiet detractors. Having the ability to take a step back and have more time to complete rehab for his back has been cathartic and he has invested in the work. He has taken perspective (of) his own place in life, his career and with this team.”
First-round pick Dariq Whitehead tells Jordan Greene of Nets Daily that he feels 75% to 80% in his recovery from offseason foot surgery. The 19-year-old forward is progressing toward his season debut with the team’s G League affiliate in Long Island. “Once I feel like I have complete control on how my legs feel, which should be another two weeks, I’ll be good to go,” Whitehead said.
The shorthanded Nets got some reinforcements on Friday when Spencer Dinwiddie and Dennis Smith Jr. both returned from injuries, Lewis adds in another story for the Post.

Nets Exercise 2024/25 Team Options On Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe

October 26th, 2023 at 1:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets have exercised their 2024/25 team options on guard Cam Thomas and center Day’Ron Sharpe, the team announced on Thursday (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). Since their fourth-year options have been picked up, both players will now be eligible for rookie scale extensions next offseason.

Thomas, the 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft, will earn $4,041,249 in ’24/25. Sharpe, the 29th pick of the same draft, will make $3,989,122.

As Dan Martin of The New York Post writes, Thomas had an excellent offensive performance in Brooklyn’s season opener vs. Cleveland, getting the Nets back in the game by pouring in 36 points (on 13-of-21 shooting) in just 25 minutes off the bench. He missed his final attempt at the end of the game, however, and the Nets lost by one point.

“It felt good, obviously,” Thomas said of his performance. “Obviously, you want to win, but it’s good to always reflect on what you do well.”

Sharpe, meanwhile, played 12 minutes in his 2023/24 debut, notching four points, two rebounds and two blocks. He appeared in 80 games for Brooklyn over the past two seasons, averaging 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per contest.

The full list of decisions on 2024/25 rookie scale team options can be found right here.

New York Notes: DiVincenzo, Myers, Sharpe, Dinwiddie, Barrett

October 17th, 2023 at 7:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Donte DiVincenzo feels less pressure this season despite signing a four-year, $47MM contract with the Knicks during free agency, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. DiVincenzo was rewarded after a solid season with the Warriors.

“I’m fortunate and thankful to have some stability, to be on a team now on a four-year deal. I can settle down and calm down,” DiVincenzo said. “Last year, I’m essentially on a one-year deal. Your anxiety, that’s more pressure. And you’re playing — when you’re playing with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and Draymond [Green], what they’ve done, that’s pressure.”

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Former Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers believes the Knicks have become an attractive free agent destination and that they’re currently positioned to trade for a star, he told Ian Begley of SNY and other media members. “I think what has shifted (recently is) … there was a time where I felt like people may not have wanted to play in (New York City). And I think that’s changed,” Myers said. “I think now you’re looking at murmurings, hearing things – ‘Hey, what about the Knicks?’ And the draft capital they have – it’s a realistic thing. It’s not some lay person saying, ‘Well, the Knicks should go get this guy!’ Now it’s viable, it’s possible. And they have what it takes with first-round picks in their cabinet to go do it. They’ve got a lot of good young players on pretty affordable contracts. They’re just another team that you’re kind of waiting for the next big thing.”
Day’Ron Sharpe provided some good minutes for the Nets in their preseason game against Philadelphia on Monday with nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. “He had a really good offseason, really good. And he’s had a really good preseason,” starting center Nic Claxton said to the New York Post’s Brian Lewis. “He’s using his physicality without fouling. He’s a lot more comfortable out there.” It’s a pivotal season for Sharpe, as the Nets hold a $4MM option on his 2024/25 contract, which must be exercised by the end of this month.
Playing alongside Ben Simmons, Spencer Dinwiddie will have a different role this season with the Nets, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes. He’ll be looked upon for more perimeter shooting — he shot 28.9% on 3s after being reacquired from Dallas, where he made 40% of his long-range attempts. “He has the ability to shoot it at a high level,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “He also has the ability to get downhill into the paint. So we just don’t want him just shooting 3s. But the ability to do both for us [is there].”
In a subscriber-only story, Newsday’s Steve Popper details that RJ Barrett isn’t under the same load management restrictions that some of his Knicks teammates are facing.

Atlantic Notes: Nurse, Harden, Sharpe, Walker, Knicks

October 9th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Nick Nurse is determined to prevent James Harden‘s standoff with Sixers management from becoming a distraction as he prepares the team for the start of the season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Harden went through all of training camp without incident, but was held out of Sunday’s preseason opener. With his trade request still looming, Nurse and the rest of his players aren’t sure if Harden will be on the roster when the season tips off in two weeks.

“I think that we knew (that) in the interview process, and the whole time James was a free agent,” Nurse said. “They talked to me, ‘How do you feel about if he’s here or if he isn’t?’ He certainly could have turned down his option and gone somewhere else. That was a possibility. But, like, you know my job is (to) work together with the front office. I believe in those guys. They got a track record of bringing in players, putting good teams together and my job is to coach the guys that are there. And that’s what I will do.”

Pompey notes that Nurse had other opportunities after his success in Toronto, as he interviewed with the Bucks and Suns and was considered the leading candidate for both jobs. Those teams are considered title contenders after major offseason acquisitions, but Nurse didn’t mind accepting the challenges in Philadelphia.

“I’ve got a job to do, and sometimes that job has a few things you’ve got to work through,” he said. “It’s not perfect on a lot of professional sports teams, right? You are paid to work through some things. That’s what we are trying to do.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn plans to use more drop coverage this season, which could mean a larger role for backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The change in philosophy, plus having another big man on the court, could solve Brooklyn’s long-standing problems with rebounding. “When we switch 1-through-5 … it wasn’t so much Nic (Claxton) or I was getting cooked every play,” Sharpe said. “It was more so we’re out on the perimeter, they’re shooting the ball, the other guys (are) down there getting the rebounds. So, personally, I like to drop better. I like getting boards, I like being physical. And I don’t like when I feel like my matchup is killing me, either. So at the end of the day, I feel like it’s going to help us a lot.”
After spending last season with the Lakers, Lonnie Walker will face his former team Monday night as he tries to earn a spot in the Nets‘ rotation, Lewis adds in a separate story. Vaughn said he wants to see Walker attack the rim and stretch the floor with his outside shooting.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau admits it will be a “tough call” to make the final roster cuts, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy examines the candidates who will be fighting for spots throughout the preseason.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Point Guards, Whitehead, Sharpe, More

September 26th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Ben Simmons is taking part in 5-on-5 workouts without any restrictions and is expected to be a full participant in training camp, head coach Jacque Vaughn and general manager Sean Marks said on Tuesday, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“Pretty simple that way which is good for me to say, and I think that fits into an exciting time for me to have this group together,” Vaughn said. “No restrictions at the beginning of the year — get to form an identity together, get to form some relationships at the beginning of the year, a style of play, so really looking forward to the challenge and getting to training camp because of that.”

In addition to discussing Simmons’ health, Vaughn confirmed something the former No. 1 overall pick said last month, telling reporters that the relationship between the two men is in a better place now than it was last season. As Bontemps details, Vaughn also agreed with Simmons’ assessment that he’s a point guard, though the head coach did offer a caveat.

“I would use the word ‘agreement’ more so than ‘commitment,'” Vaughn said when he was asked if he’s committed to playing Simmons at the point this season. “The agreement is if he’s playing at a consistent and high level, then I think our pictures look exactly the same. I think you can kind of put it in that category.”

Asked if Simmons is competing with Spencer Dinwiddie for minutes at point guard, Vaughn said the two guards will share the floor at times, with Dennis Smith Jr. also in the mix for a regular backcourt role, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Here’s more on the Nets:

There’s no specific timeline for the return of first-round pick Dariq Whitehead, who underwent foot surgery in the spring, but the Nets certainly don’t expect him to miss his entire rookie season, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “We’re definitely not going to rush him,” Marks said. “We love the grit and determination. I wouldn’t put a timeline on when he’ll be back but he will definitely be playing this year.”
While Vaughn still expects to use smaller lineups frequently in 2023/24, he wants to give Day’Ron Sharpe an opportunity to earn a role since he’s one of the team’s best rebounders, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links). The head coach also said that he expects Simmons and center Nic Claxton to share the floor quite a bit, despite the spacing issues it created last season.
For the first time since 2018, the Nets won’t have any superstar players on their roster entering training camp. That doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be open to pursuing a star in the next year or two if the right opportunity arises, but it also doesn’t sound like they feel compelled to do so. “(Team owner) Joe Tsai, myself and (Vaughn) have talked openly about how this team will look in the upcoming years and when’s the right time to go back in,” Marks said, according to Bontemps. “Whether it’s facilitating another deal, whether it’s acquiring more players, whether it’s seeing what these young guys on our team right now can develop, and that’s an exciting piece too that we’re forgetting to mention. We’re certainly not in any hurry, but at the end of the day, we’re going to do our due diligence like we always have over the course of the last six years.”
Over at his Substack, Steve Lichtenstein explores why forward Trendon Watford has the potential to be a solid developmental piece for Brooklyn. Watford is on a non-guaranteed contract with the Nets.

New York Notes: Nets Trade Talk, Simmons, Vaughn, Dolan, Robinson

January 26th, 2023 at 7:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets are one of the more active teams on the trade market, sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

Joe Harris, Seth Curry and/or Patty Mills could potentially be on the move due to their short-term salaries and reduced roles, O’Connor notes. Beyond that, they could only dangle young players Day’Ron Sharpe and Cam Thomas, their 2028 or 2029 first-round pick, and a future first-rounder from Philadelphia in 2027 or 2028.

We have more on the New York teams:

The Nets’ Ben Simmons says that coach Jacque Vaughn hasn’t really informed him why he’s often been on the bench in late-game situations, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. “I really had no message from him. I think it’s more just wherever team needs,” Simmons said. “When we’re winning I have no problem with it; if we’re losing then I got an issue.”
Speaking of Simmons, Vaughn says he expects him to be more consistent in the second half of the season, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. Simmons had a 10-point third quarter against Philadelphia on Wednesday and the coach wants to see that offensive aggression more often. “That’s the goal,” Vaughn said. “That’s where we’re going to get him to, where each possession he has to be dealt with on both ends of the floor. Where you feel him on both ends of the floor and he imposes his will and has an impact on every single possession, which he has the ability to do. That’s where we’re going to get to, that’s the challenge and we’re going to continue to expect it from him.”
Knicks owner James Dolan figures it’ll be another month or so before center Mitchell Robinson returns to action, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News relays (Twitter link). In a Fox5 interview, Dolan said the Knicks will have to “make it through the next four weeks” without Robinson. Robinson underwent thumb surgery last week and is expected to be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Sharpe, Randle, Brunson, Rose

December 12th, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics forward Grant Williams has been fined $20K for hitting the game ball into the spectator stands, the league’s communications department tweets. The incident, for which Williams was assessed a technical foul and ejected, occurred late in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 123-107 loss to the Warriors on Saturday.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets forward Day’Ron Sharpe may have earned more playing time with his performance on Saturday with many of the team’s regulars out, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Sharpe had a career-high-tying 20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks as the Nets defeated Indiana. “He’s a young young dude, he’s still learning the speed and where to be. For us to throw different things at him and for him not to get flustered and have poise was great to see,” coach Jacque Vaughn said of the 2021 first-round pick.
Knicks forward Julius Randle got tossed during the third quarter against Sacramento on Sunday for picking up two technical fouls. Coach Tom Thibodeau believes the coaching staff needs to calm Randle down in those situation to keep him on the court, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “When he got the first [technical foul], we have to do a better job of helping him walk away,” Thibodeau said. “As a team, staff, all of us.”
Derrick Rose, who was recently removed from the Knicks‘ rotation, could get some playing time restored if Jalen Brunson needs to miss some games, Braziller writes in a separate story. Brunson left Sunday’s game with what the team’s PR department described as a sore right foot (Twitter link). The Knicks don’t play again until Wednesday.