NEW YORK — Day’Ron Sharpe has been thrust into a position this season where he still has to earn his minutes, but they are available for him with the unfortunate injury of starting center Nic Claxton, who has been out of the lineup since the first game of the season. As Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has elected to go small in response to the absence of Claxton, Sharpe has had to make his minutes count.
“I feel like every minute is important,” Sharpe said after putting up 11 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s 100-93 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Sharpe played 19 minutes in the contest and his minutes were important that he is Brooklyn’s best counter to Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles’ hulking center. Sharpe did not have the best start to the game, but his performance picked up in the fourth quarter.
“The minutes I do get, I try to go in, play as hard as I can, and do what I do,” Sharpe said. He didn’t have his best offensive performance as he went 4-of-9 from the field along with missing some shots that should have finished at the rim, but Sharpe did play hard and his effort won out in the end. Sharpe’s hard work is geared towards helping the Nets win.
“If it’s 10 (minutes), 20, 5, I’m still going (to) try to get 10 boards, regardless. So, (at) end of the day, I’m just playing hard trying to help team win.” Wednesday was the third time this season that Sharpe has had at least 11 points and seven rebounds in the same game.
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