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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Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe has hyperextended left knee; to be re-evaluated in 2 weeks

The Brooklyn Nets announced on Tuesday that center Day’Ron Sharpe has a hyperextended left knee. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

The Brooklyn Nets are in a tough spot as they will have to find a way to start stringing together some wins soon if they want to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, they will be trying to do so without one of their breakout players for the time being.

The Nets announced on Tuesday that center Day’Ron Sharpe, who suffered a left knee injury in Sunday’s 134-127 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, has been diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee. Sharpe suffered his knee injury while defending Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant’s drive to the rim, but had a player fall into his knee in the process.

Once Sharpe went down, he tried to get back up, but was unable to and asked the medical staff to come to where he was on the court to help him up. It was unknown how bad the injury at first because Sharpe needed him to get from the court to the locker room and looked like he was unable to put any weight on his left leg.

Sharpe’s injury happened with a little over three minutes left in the fourth quarter and he was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the game a few minutes after that as the game went into overtime.

Brooklyn could make up for Sharpe’s absence by giving more minutes to players like Dorian Finney-Smith, Trendon Watford, or even Harry Giles III, who has played sparingly this season due to the play of starting center Nic Claxton and Sharpe, according to Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn.

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Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe suffers left knee sprain Sunday vs. Trail Blazers

Brooklyn Nets backup center Day’Ron Sharpe suffered a left knee sprain in Sunday’s 134-127 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets backup center Day’Ron Sharpe was having arguably his best season for the Nets with the way that he’s improved on both ends of the floor. However, it’s possible that his season could be put on ice for the time being.

Sharpe suffered a left knee sprain in Sunday’s 134-127 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in which he had 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block in 17 minutes off the block. With 3:18 left in the fourth quarter, Sharpe blocked Portland forward Jerami Grant’s layup and looked to have landed wrong on his left leg on his way down from blocking the shot.

“Yeah, left knee sprain, he’ll get an MRI tomorrow (Monday),” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Sharpe following the loss. After Sharpe’s fall, he was unable to leave the court on his own and had to be helped by members of the training staff to get to the locker room.

Sharpe was subsequently ruled out due to the sprain and that represents a huge blow to Brooklyn’s bench unit and frontcourt rotation, assuming that the injury is severe enough to keep him out for an extended period of time. “He’ll stay back. (He) won’t travel with us to Paris right now. We’ll see if he’s going to join us in Paris,” Vaughn said of Sharpe.

The Nets left for Paris shortly after the conclusion of Sunday’s game against the Trail Blazers as they have a week’s worth of events planned across the pond. Brooklyn will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday which is their main reason for being in Paris in the first place.

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Day’Ron Sharpe has impressive block on former Duke star

Day’Ron Sharpe was a menacing post presence during the 2020-2021 year at UNC. He’s now in the NBA and blocking former Blue Devils.

Former Duke Unversity hooper Zion Williamson was one of the most-ever hyped collegiate basketball players in recent memory.

He has the height of LeBron James, build of Shaquille O’Neal, plus immense speed and solid shooting skills for a big man.

Day’Ron Sharpe played just the 2020-2021 COVID-altered season at UNC, but made an immediate impact with his post presence. The near-7-foot forward/center from Winterville, N.C. averaged 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and nearly a block per game as a Tar Heel, which was good enough for him to be a 2021 first-round NBA Draft choice.

Sharpe, now a member of the Brooklyn Nets and Zion, now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, faced off on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

The former Tar Heel got the better of this matchup, swatting away what appeared to be a clear dunk attempt.

While Zion dealt with a foot injury for most of the past two seasons, Sharpe has been thriving and – to this point – been grateful for good health.

Sharpe is currently in the midst of a career-high season, currently holding highs in points, rebounds, assists and blocks per game.

The two never met in college, but they’ll meet again on Tuesday, March 19 in Brooklyn.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe on big game against Pistons: ‘just my motor’

Brooklyn Nets backup center Day’Ron Sharpe had a wonderful game on Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons and he gives credit to his motor.

The Brooklyn Nets had two things on their mind going into Tuesday’s game at the Detroit Pistons: win the game and do not let Detroit avoid its record-breaking losing streak against them. Thanks to the contributions of players like backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, the Nets were able to accomplish both goals.

Brooklyn beat the Pistons 118-112 and Sharpe was critical to the win as he had 11 points, 11 rebounds (three offensive), three assists, two steals, and four blocks in just 22 minutes of floor time off the bench. He played less than half of the game and somehow seemed to be involved in every crucial play in a game with more meaning to Brooklyn than just an average regular-season game against a struggling team.

Detroit came into this game needing to win to avoid a historic losing streak of 27 games, something that no team in NBA history has wanted to be a part of by design. The Pistons played hard and arguably could have won this game had some of the important plays went their way.

Sharpe ended the contest with a plus/minus of +15, displaying how impactful he was in this game thanks to his scoring, rebounding, and paint protection. Sharpe was asked about what allows him to have performances like this and this is how he explained it:

“It’s just my game. Just my motor. I just be so locked in like I don’t be thinking about nothing else, just what’s going on in front of me. Just like as we play, just figure out what guys are doing, what move they’ve been doing the whole time. I’m just out there playing hard and I just wanted to win, for real. I’m so serious, I did not want them (the Pistons) to get their first win (in 27 games) on us. So, when I’m in the game, I’m playing 110%.”

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Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe on big game against Wizards: “I just play my game’

Brooklyn Nets backup center Day’Ron Sharpe knows how to make an impact for the Nets and he voiced that after Friday’s win over the Wizards.

NEW YORK — Day’Ron Sharpe is in just his third season in the NBA and yet, he is carving out a role for himself for the Brooklyn Nets despite being the backup to starting center Nic Claxton. Sharpe has improved his game enough to be a consistent member of the rotation and he has flourished as of late.

“I just play my game, you know? Just playing hard,” Sharpe said after putting up 15 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in Friday’s 124-97 win over the Washington Wizards. Sharpe played just over 19 minutes in the contest, but he was a +11 in plus/minus and was noticeably more aggressive when the ball came his way.

“Relentless on the boards. Whenever I get a lot of rebounds off rip, or I feel like I’m gonna have a good game,” Sharpe said. “Just my motor for me to get me going. So, just be in the right spots in the right place at the right time.”

After Friday’s performance, Sharpe now has the most double-doubles (3) in the league for a bench player and this is the most double-doubles that he’s had in any season in his career. With the way that he’s been playing whether Claxton is in the game or not has been great for everyone in the Nets organization to see.

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