Back in uniform Wednesday night at Barclays Center after missing two games for personal reasons, Nic Claxton returned to the Nets’ lineup against the Orlando Magic on a temporary minutes restriction. Head coach Jordi Fernández said the limitation was related to travel rather than any lingering physical issue.
“So, with all his travel and everything, it’s not going to be like the minutes he was playing consistently, and it’s just a matter of what he’s gone through,” Fernández said. “But don’t expect it to be more than one game. Once he plays tonight, he will play and then see how he feels.”
That cautious approach wasn’t a surprise. The Nets need Claxton. They also need reserve center Day’Ron Sharpe. And they need both of them healthy, engaged and buying into a frontcourt rotation that’s quietly become one of the team’s most important balancing acts.
Sharpe filled in as the starting center during Claxton’s two-game absence and did more than just hold the spot. He brought energy, physicality and steadiness on both ends, continuing a stretch of play that’s impressed within the organization. The numbers have been solid. The impact’s been louder than that.
“Yeah, I think it’s been his consistency,” Fernández said of Sharpe. “And going back to the people that he’s got, that he has around consistently with everything in regard to his body. Like, he works with Courtney [Brown] and she’s been amazing with him, helped him to get through all those steps to work on his body. Same with Juwan [Howard] and the rest of the medical and performance team, help him to understand how important being routine oriented is.”
Sharpe’s growth hasn’t happened by accident. The work started months ago. A summer dedicated to conditioning and habits has translated into a player who looks lighter on his feet, more decisive as a passer and more reliable defensively. The physical change is obvious. With that’s come confidence.
“You eat properly, you rest, you work, and you do it again and again and again,” Fernández said. “He had a great summer. You can see it in his body and now you can see it in his play, and I think it’s amazing. That maturity doesn’t come overnight, but he’s been willing to work and willing to be the best player for the team.”
For a Nets team still defining roles on a nightly basis, Sharpe’s emergence has complicated things in a good way. Claxton remains the defensive anchor, the communicator on the back line and the most versatile big on the roster. But Sharpe forced himself into the conversation, not as a placeholder, but as a legitimate option who can swing games with effort and presence.
That’s where Fernández’s job gets interesting.
“I think even when Nic played the last couple of games, I think [Day’Ron’s] minutes already increased,” Fernández said. “So, a lot of times it’s a matter of situational, how the game goes, foul trouble, runs, whatever it may be.”
The idea that Sharpe’s minutes are capped because of Claxton doesn’t quite hold. The Nets have shown they’re willing to ride whoever has it on a given night. That flexibility helped stabilize a rotation that’s been tested by injuries, absences and constant lineup shuffling.
“But right now, we can see Day’Ron has been able to play longer stints, which is good,” Fernández said. “Like I said, having the rotation of those guys makes the group better.”
What ties the two together is defense. When Brooklyn’s defended well this season, it’s almost always started with what’s happening at the center position. Claxton’s mobility and communication allow the Nets to be aggressive at the point of attack. Sharpe’s strength and rebounding help finish possessions and wear teams down.
“I think it’s very good because they’ve both been part of us getting better, and they’re both a big part of why our defense has been very good for a big stretch,” Fernández said. “When both Nic and Day’Ron have good games defensively, we’re very good as a team defensively.”
That dynamic matters as Brooklyn continues to look for consistency. The Nets have greatly benefited from having two centers competing for minutes and holding each other to a higher standard.
“If they both play well, the team wins,” Fernández said.
