Day'Ron Sharpe Shines off the Nets' Bench in Loss to Celtics

Despite a reduced role compared to last season, Sharpe has had multiple big performances.

Nov 18, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) celebrates his three point shot against Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In another night where the Brooklyn Nets failed to eclipse 100 points, Day'Ron Sharpe played one of his best games of the season in just 18 minutes off the bench.

The 24-year-old led the bench unit with 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals. He did it on 7-for-10 shooting and made all but one of his attempts from inside the arc.

On a night where Nic Claxton went 1-for-9 from the field en route to seven points, Sharpe needed to step up. He used his strength effectively in the paint and took his time getting to his spots in the flow of the offense.

This was just the second time this season that Sharpe scored 15 or more points. He is in a weird spot on the roster because he is young by most of the league's standards, but with the Nets, he's actually one of the oldest players on the roster.

Sharpe is a little over two years younger than Claxton, and in a season where Brooklyn could look to move on from their starter, Sharpe needs to show he can succeed in a bigger role. On the other hand, with Claxton experiencing a breakout season aside from this game against the Celtics, Sharpe could just as likely be moved.

While the Nets' perennial backup center hasn't gotten the chance to show much of what he can do as a starter –– he's started 14 games in his career –– Sharpe should get the opportunity before Brooklyn's front office makes any decisions.

The Nets have been one of the most obvious rebuilding teams in the 2025-26 campaign, being willing to play their youth, but Sharpe has seen a decrease in minutes. Sharpe is playing 15.8 minutes per game, down from his 18.1 average last season.

Foul trouble and turnover issues have likely contributed to his decreased minutes, he's averaging career-highs in both. Still, given Brooklyn's current direction and Sharpe's age, it doesn't make much sense for him not to at least maintain his role.

While he hasn't improved as an outside shooter and defender like many had hoped, he still has a versatile offensive game and his strength projects well as a post defender. The first step to increasing his minutes and possibly earning some call-ups into the starting lineup is to decrease his fouls and turnovers.

We'll see if Sharpe can carry momentum from his all-around performance against Boston into more consistent outings.