Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe Embraces Growth Mindset in Expanded Role

Day'Ron Sharpe stepped in as the Brooklyn Nets' starting center with Nic Claxton out of the lineup.

As a result, he filled up the box score on both sides of the floor, proving he can bring the same energy to the court during longer stretches.

"I've been in the league five years now," Sharpe said. "Just every summer, just every game, really, when I'm not playing a lot of minutes, running, lifting, just picking and choose when I know I'm the only big, just picking and choosing my battles of when to go for a hard contest I know I can't get, or when to go for the steal when I know I can't get in foul trouble. So, it just came with maturity and learning as I've been in the league longer."

“…We just wanted to rally as a team…and get the dub for him.”

- Day’Ron Sharpe on the Nets collectively playing for Michael Porter Jr. #NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/sbhQnH5ihb
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 4, 2026

The North Carolina product's main goals coming into the season were to improve his body composition and finishing around the rim. He understood exactly what it would take to improve in those areas.

"I consider it a routine," Sharpe said. "If you wanna be great at anything, you got to have a routine. During the summertime, attacking it every day five days a week, six days a week. How many days it got to take or how much time it got to take and just attacking it every day. Me and Juwan (Howard) working on finishes around the basket every day, even during the season. The first couple of years, I wasn't playing. Every day I'm coming in getting shots. Every day I'm coming in I'm working on mobility. Every day I'm coming in working on how to run. So just working on the basics and the fundamentals of everything."

Sharpe's playmaking skills have also improved significantly this season, a development he attributes to his increased patience.

"I just say patience," Sharpe said. "When I'm getting the ball, I ain't got to go right away. I ain't just got to throw the ball to the first guy. Scanning the floor before I roll. So just patience in general. So when I get the ball, who's under the basket? If it was a little guy, go finish over him, or if it was an open guy in the corner, he's wide open. Just making the right read with patience."

Even if the stats don’t tell the full story, Sharpe’s patience, conditioning, and maturity suggest he can compete with some of the league’s best bigs.