Nets Who Could Step Up in Day'Ron Sharpe's Potential Absence

Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe exited Sunday night's loss to the New York Knicks with left hamstring tightness and is questionable for Tuesday night's matchup against the Toronto Raptors.

Hamstring injuries are tough to deal with, so there's an unfortunate chance that the Nets could be without their backup big man for a certain amount of time.

This is especially a tough blow for a team that has been struggling to win games and has also lost Cam Thomas for at least three weeks due to a hamstring injury of his own.

Nic Claxton should continue to thrive as the Nets' starting center but here are some candidates who could emerge in Sharpe's potential absence.

Noah Clowney

Noah Clowney got off to a slow start this season but has picked it up in recent games, averaging 17 points per game in the three games prior to Brooklyn's loss to its crosstown rivals.

However, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez would like to see some improvements from the third year professional.

“Yeah, the reality with Noah is he was the guy that made winning plays last year — winning play after winning play," Fernandez said. "And it can be a verticality, a charge, a rebound. And I haven’t seen it yet this year. I know he’s got it in him. I know he’s worked on his body. It’s just a lot of times Noah needs time to process things."

It's normal for a 21 year old kid to get in their head at times, but for his part, Clowney seems to understand what he needs to work on.

“Yeah. Already, I feel like I’ve been doing good with moving on to the next play, personally,” Clowney said. “As far as the verticalities and all that, yeah, I can do better. And it’s something you’ve just got to do. Time things better, meet people earlier, things like that.”

Danny Wolf

Danny Wolf has been seen as a potential steal after going No. 27 in the 2025 NBA Draft.

His footwork and passing skills remind many of Alperen Sengun. Having a big man who can dissect a defense and find open cutters or shooters in the corners is such a luxury to have, though it'll be important to account for Wolf's defensive deficiencies.

Sharpe's potential absence opens the door for Wolf to tap into the skills that have garnered him some hype during the draft process.