Day'Ron Sharpe Refers to Two Championship Contenders When Discussing Nets' Struggles

The Brooklyn Nets have had an ugly stretch after a promising December, as they've lost 17 of their 20 games.

With the Nets in the middle of a rebuild, it's hard not to look back on what could've been just a few years ago with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden all rocking Brooklyn across their chest together as teammates.

Most of the players on those rosters are long gone, but few have remained in the borough. One such name that has stuck through it all is Day'Ron Sharpe, who entered the league as a rookie with the Nets' Big 3 still intact.

For now, Sharpe seems to understand that the Nets aren't the championship-contending team they once were, but he referenced two current contenders that were in a similar spot as Brooklyn just a few years back when asked about what advice he'd give to the younger players on the team.

"Just remember this,” Sharpe said. “You know, when it happens, the young guys, we get blown out. We’ve seen with teams like OKC, my rookie year for example, they used to lose a lot. Detroit, two years ago, they were losing a lot. So, just remember this pain that we’re taking from losing this way, and just build on it during summer, and build on it in your career.”

Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander blossomed into an MVP for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cade Cunningham developed into a superstar for the Detroit Pistons. Both teams have also capitalized on the draft and made the right trades and free agency signings.

OKC has developed itself into one of the best defensive teams in the league and has given SGA full freedom with the ball in his hands.

The Pistons have also developed into one of the best defensive teams in the league, and they've made a living of scoring in the paint.

Considering that Brooklyn won largely due to its league-best defensive rating in December, that's a blueprint they could look to follow.

The next face of the Nets' franchise will likely come either in this year's draft or a trade, as there are considerable questions about how well Egor Demin can truly take that next step towards being a bona fide No. 1 option of a championship-contending team.

For now, the Nets' main focus must be centered around player development and making the right trades and free agency signings.