Michael Porter Jr. is probable to play Sunday against his former Nuggets team after missing the past two games with an illness. Cam Thomas is available, but starting center Nic Claxton remains out for personal reasons.
Claxton ranks fourth among all centers with 131 assists on a career-high 4.2 per game, and the Nets sorely miss his playmaking ability. In his absence, Day’Ron Sharpe is in line for a second straight start. Sharpe had a strong showing in his first start of the season on Friday in Washington, posting 14 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 30 minutes.
Despite having to pace himself for the extended minutes, Sharpe played with his customary ferocity. Nets coach Jordi Fernández praised his effort, saying, “Yeah, one thing we know is Day’Ron is going to play extremely hard. And going from the minutes he’s played to pretty much 30 minutes, your body has to adjust to that. So it’s a great opportunity for him to play those minutes, but also being careful with that.”
Fernández added, “After the shorter stints, I try to keep watching how he’s reacted. And rebounding nine — I still think he could have got more and been a little more efficient — but I really, really liked how hard he played, how engaged he was, and how he took advantage of the opportunity. So, very proud of him.”
Sharpe’s 60.1 percent shooting and 64.4 true shooting percentage are both career bests.
Rookie Nolan Traore also bounced back with a solid performance against the Wizards, scoring 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting along with five assists, two blocks, and a steal. After being chastised by Fernández for forcing ill-advised pull-up 3-pointers the night before against Houston, Traore refocused on attacking the paint.
The result was the best game of his young career. Traore showcased his skills with a highlight play, crossing over Wizards center Alex Sarr and finishing high off the glass.
Coach Fernández commented, “I just want him to take the right shot every time. So I don’t know if it was a 3 or not. I never told him not to take 3s. I want him to take the right shot, I want him to make the right play. I want him to shoot 3s if he’s open and take good ones. For sure, he can shoot. He can shoot 20 if he wants.”
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic’s injury may have shaken up the MVP race and means Nets fans won’t see the Nuggets star playing Sunday at Barclays Center. Jokic suffered a bone bruise in his left knee on Monday and will be out for the 3:30 p.m. tilt.
Brooklyn also won’t see Cam Johnson (right knee bone bruise) or Jonas Valanciunas (right calf), both of whom the Nuggets traded in the offseason for Porter and Denver’s unprotected 2032 first-round pick. Christian Braun (left ankle sprain) and Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) are both questionable, while Jamal Murray (left ankle sprain) is probable.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/sports/engaged-dayron-sharpe-taking-advantage-of-nets-starting-role/
