Tag: Day’Ron Sharpe

Nets’ Kevin Ollie makes an interesting lineup change at Bucks

In Thursday’s 115-108 loss at the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie made an interesting lineup change.

The Brooklyn Nets are trying to play their way into the Eastern Conference play-in tournament and they are running out of games to make up the ground between them and the Atlanta Hawks. As such, it seems that Brooklyn is willing to try anything to turn things around, including their rotation.

Heading into Thursday’s 115-108 loss at the Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets were going to be shorthanded once Dorian Finney-Smith was ruled out due to left ankle soreness. Things could have been much worse given that starting center Nic Claxton was listed as questionable due to an illness, but he was good to go by the time the game started.

What was surprising about Thursday’s game was the fact that backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, who played in every game that he was active for this season, did not step foot on the floor against the Bucks. From the looks of it, it seemed that Sharpe’s minutes went to an unlikely player: rookie first-round pick Noah Clowney. This was Sharpe’s first DNP of the season.

Clowney played 14 minutes and put up five points, four rebounds, and was a +10 during his time on the floor as he held up well against Milwaukee’s formidable frontline of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie spoke after the game about why he chose to go in that direction:

“It’s just about sacrifice and that was the conversation. I told him beforehand what I was going to do. Day’Ron’s probably not happy with it, I wouldn’t be happy with it, but I understand this is a team game and we have to be a team and I wanted to see Noah tonight and that’s what I went with.”

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Nets full injury report for Saturday matchup at Hornets

Here is the full injury report for the Brooklyn Nets heading into their matchup at the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

The Brooklyn Nets started their six-game road trip on the wrong foot as they dropped a winnable game at the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. As Brooklyn continues with the rest of its road trip, they will be trying to get back on the winning path knowing that they will likely get some important players back.

In the Nets’ initial injury report released on Friday, Brooklyn saw that they will be getting healthier at an important point of their season. The Nets announced that backup center Day’Ron Sharpe (right wrist contusion) and guard Cam Thomas (right ankle/midfoot sprain) are probable for Saturday’s matchup at the Charlotte Hornets.

What was clear in Thursday’s loss at the Pistons was that Brooklyn was missing Thomas’ ability to score and Sharpe’s ability to rebound and protect the rim off the bench. Thomas is likely to return after missing the past six games and Sharpe should come back to the lineup after being out for the past two games.

Assuming that Thomas and Sharpe are able to go, the Nets will be happy to have both of them back given how impactful both players are within Brooklyn’s rotation. Sharpshooting forward Cam Johnson remains out with his right ankle sprain, but there is a possibility that he returns to the lineup during this road trip.

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Nets’ Kevin Ollie gives injury update on key rotation players

Prior to Tuesday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie gave injury updates on key players.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets are at an important point of their season where they can no longer afford to drop any games that they should win. As Brooklyn moves forward with a fairly easy schedule over the next month or so, they have some injuries that they have to monitor in the meantime.

“Lonnie’s gonna work in his vitamins today and see if he can go tonight,” Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie said of reserve guard Lonnie Walker IV prior to Tuesday’s contest against the Philadelphia 76ers. As of this writing, Walker is listed as questionable due to a left ankle sprain that he suffered in Monday’s 106-102 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Essentially, Walker will be going through his pregame routine to see if he can play on that ankle.

“He got a scan earlier (on Tuesday), so we’re waiting for the results of that,” Ollie said of backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, who is out for Tuesday’s game due to a right wrist contusion also suffered Monday against the Grizzlies. Sharpe came out of the game after suffering his injury, but was able to re-enter the game towards the end of the fourth quarter to help with rebounding.

“I think he’s a full go. Our medical team didn’t come back and say anything about him,” Ollie said about guard Mikal Bridges, who appeared to suffer some discomfort in his right wrist during Monday’s contest against Memphis, but was not listed on the injury report.

“He’s just getting better. He’s ramping up his workouts and I keep leaning on our medical staff, and him also because he’s a big part of this, to let us know when he’s ready,” Ollie said of guard Cam Thomas, who has missed the past four games with his right ankle/midfoot sprain. With Thomas out of the lineup, Brooklyn is missing a guy who’s averaging 20.9 points per game.

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Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe (left knee hyperextension) available Tuesday vs. Celtics

The Brooklyn Nets announced on Monday that backup center Day’Ron Sharpe (knee) is available for Tuesday’s game against the Boston Celtics.

The Brooklyn Nets are trying to turn their season around while incorporating new members of the team that came to the team after the NBA trade deadline. The good thing for Brooklyn is that things are starting to look up for Brooklyn as they are getting healthier at the same time.

The Nets released their status report on Monday in advance of their home game on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics. A big part of the report was the news that backup center Day’Ron Sharpe will make his return to Brooklyn’s lineup after missing the past 15 games with a hyperextended left knee.

Sharpe suffered his knee injury on Jan. 7 against the Portland Trail Blazers after coming down awkwardly following a blocked shot. For the majority of his rehab, Sharpe was only able to do individual workouts until he progressed to activity around other coaches in recent weeks.

While Sharpe is returning for Brooklyn, forward Cam Johnson remains out with a left adductor strain. With the Nets playing a back-to-back against the Celtics, at home on Tuesday and in Boston on Wednesday, it’s possible that Johnson won’t return until after the All-Star break.

Johnson has been out of the lineup since he suffered his adductor strain on Feb. 5 against the Golden State Warriors. Johnson is averaging 13.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 40.1% from three-point land.

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Nets’ Ben Simmons ruled out for Monday’s game against Warriors

The Brooklyn Nets announced on Sunday that Ben Simmons is out for Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors due to injury maintenance.

The Brooklyn Nets are looking to build on an impressive road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers as they try to climb back in the Eastern Conference playoff race. As Brooklyn attempts to extend their winning streak in their matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Monday, they will be doing so while shorthanded again.

The Nets announced on Sunday that Ben Simmons would miss Monday’s contest against the Warriors due to injury maintenance on his lower left back. While this cautious approach with Simmons makes sense given that he missed 38 straight games from Nov. 8 to Jan. 27 with the nerve impingement in his back, it still leaves some doubt as to whether Simmons is fully healthy at this point.

Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Saturday’s 136-121 win at the 76ers that Simmons has fully recovered from the nerve impingement in his lower left back that caused him to miss so much time, but that he would also be available for games moving forward.

It seems that regardless of that statement, the Nets appear to still be cautious with Simmons and that makes sense because of how important he is to the team, even in limited minutes. In some good news for Brooklyn, guard Dennis Smith Jr. is probable for Monday after missing Saturday’s win due to right foot soreness.

In addition to Simmons, forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) and center Day’Ron Sharpe (left knee hyperextension) are out for Monday’s contest. Finney-Smith started running on his ankle at Friday’s practice so he could be returning soon while Sharpe is still slowly working his way back to doing workouts around other people.

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Nets’ Jacque Vaughn says Ben Simmons is available moving forward

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Saturday’s game at the Philadelphia 76ers that Ben Simmons is available moving forward.

PHILADELPHIA — The Brooklyn Nets have been arguably one of the most talked about teams in the NBA with the trade deadline on Feb. 8. Brooklyn is trying to hang on to their hopes of being in the Eastern Conference playoff picture come April and they should have one of the best players on the court moving forward.

“Yeah, he would have played the other day (Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns) except for the acute injury that happened in the game (Monday against the Utah Jazz),” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Ben Simmons prior to Saturday’s road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons was listed as probable prior to Saturday when he was upgraded to available.

“So, he (Simmons) was fully back from the time away (with the nerve impingement in his lower left back) so all inclination going forward as he’s available for games,” Vaughn said. That has to be good news for everyone in the Nets organization and fanbase given how much time Simmons has missed over his past few seasons with the team due to a variety of injuries.

Addressing the rest of Brooklyn’s injuries, Vaughn said that center Day’Ron Sharpe, out due to a left knee hyperextension, has been doing more court work and has progressed to contact with coaches. Vaughn said that Dorian Finney-Smith, out with a left ankle sprain, is still “day-to-day” and that the team will see if he can go next week.

Dennis Smith Jr., questionable for Saturday due to right foot soreness, will go through his pregame routine to see if he can play. The 76ers will be missing three rotation players, including superstar center Joel Embiid, and could be missing two more rotation pieces with Tobias Harris and Nic Batum listed as questionable.

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Nets’ Ben Simmons (left knee contusion) probable Saturday at 76ers

The Brooklyn Nets announced on Friday that Ben Simmons is probable for Saturday’s game at the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Brooklyn Nets are looking to turn their season around as soon as possible so that they still have a chance of getting back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. As they try to start a new winning streak on Saturday at the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets are likely to be doing so with their best table-setter for their offense.

The Nets released their initial injury report on Friday and on it, Ben Simmons is listed as probable due to a left knee contusion. This is notable because Simmons missed Wednesday’s 136-120 loss to the Phoenix Suns due to swelling in his knee, per head coach Jacque Vaughn.

When Vaughn addressed the media prior to Wednesday’s loss, he said that Simmons had no structural damage in his knee and seemed confident that he wouldn’t miss much time. A new addition to the report is guard Dennis Smith Jr. who is listed as questionable due to right foot soreness.

Smith has played in 32 of 47 games this season due to a variety of injuries, but he has generally been available for the team this season. Forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) and center Day’Ron Sharpe (left knee hyperextension) are ruled out.

Finney-Smith has missed the last two games with his ankle issue, but he started running at practice on Friday so he could be close to returning. Sharpe has missed the past 10 games with his knee ailment and so far, he has only been able to do individual work.

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Nets’ Ben Simmons is likely to return to the court next week vs. Jazz

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said on Saturday that Ben Simmons is ‘likely’ to return for Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz.

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has played just six games this season after a nerve impingement in his lower left back in the beginning of November took him off the court for a significant amount of time. However, the good news is that he should be back for the Nets soon.

“Yeah, all signs point towards the likelihood of him playing next week,” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Simmons prior to Saturday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets. Simmons practiced earlier in the day on Saturday with the Long Island Nets and per Vaughn, everything went well during that session.

Vaughn mentioned that Simmons has a “high likelihood” of returning to the court for Monday’s home game against the Utah Jazz.

In other news, as Nets Wire covered previously, Cam Johnson will miss Saturday’s game against the Rockets due to personal reasons. Per Vaughn, it seems that whatever Johnson is going through, he will come back to the team shortly.

As a result, Cam Thomas will start in Johnson’s place. Thomas, who is second on the team in scoring with a 20.5 points per game average, will draw his 21st start of the season. When he has started, Thomas is averaging 22.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 43.9% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range.

Vaughn said that backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, who is averaging 7.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 16.0 minutes primarily off the bench, is still “far behind” from practicing at this moment. He’s been doing individual work while allowing his hyperextended left knee to heal.

In more injury news, Dariq Whitehead, the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, will be getting season-ending surgery to address the stress reaction in his left shin, according to Vaughn. Vaughn said that it’s still too early to see if Whitehead will be able to participate in the summer league, but that the team will have an update after his surgery on Monday.

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Nets’ Jacque Vaughn gives update on Ben Simmons, Day’Ron Sharpe

Prior to Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn gave updates on Ben Simmons and Day’Ron Sharpe.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets have won just five of their last 21 games as their journey to make the playoffs is becoming less likely by the day. While the team has been mostly healthy recently, the Nets are still missing two players who could make an impact on the team right now.

“Ben (Simmons) is improving,” Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks. Simmons has played in just six games this season mostly due to the nerve impingement in his lower left back that he suffered in the beginning of November.

Vaughn mentioned that Simmons will not play this week and that it looks like the team could be assigning Simmons to its G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, to get in some practice reps.

With regards to backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, who has missed the past five games due to a hyperextended left knee, is “really limited” in what he can do on the court right now, according to Vaughn.

“Shooting free throws, dribbling the basketball, no other players around him. No setback, though, which is good. He (Sharpe) said he had been feeling the best since the injury. So, that was good to hear. So, hopefully, he just continues to improve because we do miss him,” Vaughn explained.

The Nets play their next five games at home, starting with Tuesday’s matchup against the Knicks.

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What does Day’Ron Sharpe’s injury mean for the Brooklyn Nets?

With backup center Day’Ron Sharpe out for at least the next two weeks, what does his absence mean for the Brooklyn Nets?

Brooklyn Nets backup center Day’Ron Sharpe suffered an hyperextended left knee in Sunday’s 134-127 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and will be out for at least the next two weeks. With Sharpe out of the lineup for the time being, what does that mean for the Nets moving forward?

Sharpe, 22, was having his best season in the NBA ever since he came to the Nets as the 29th overall pick in the 2021 Draft out of North Carolina. Sharpe, now in his third season, has been primarily a bench center for Brooklyn across different iterations of the team, all while backing up starting center Nic Claxton.

So far this season, Sharpe is averaging 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 57.5% from the field and 61.4% from the free-throw line in 16.0 minutes per game. With the exception of field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage, he is averaging career-highs in all other statistical categories for a Nets team that was becoming dependent on his bench production.

With Sharpe out of commission for some time, that could open up playing time for players like Trendon Watford, Harry Giles III, and Noah Clowney to be the backup center depending on how Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn wants to play against certain matchups. It is also possible that Vaughn will lean more on players like Dorian Finney-Smith and Watford for backup center minutes given that the Nets have been reluctant to give playing time to Giles and Clowney for various reasons.

Sharpe has played in every game this season so it’s possible that Vaughn could go a totally different direction than what has already been mentioned since he hasn’t had to build his rotation without Sharpe in it. No matter what Vaughn does, someone will be either getting more minutes than they were already getting or find themselves in a new role with the opportunity to earn minutes even when Sharpe returns to the lineup.

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