After coach Nash said "we haven't won against a bull-level opponent yet," the Nets finally opened the manager's eyes. Nash stuffed 2 rookies into the starting lineup, and they didn't embarrass the manager. In the Nets' 138-112 victory over the Bulls, Daeron Sharp, who started for the first time in his career, played 22 minutes, scoring a career-high 20 points on 10-of-14 and grabbing a career-high seven rebounds.
In the team with the big three and the highest goal of winning the championship, rookies are difficult to get enough time, like this game, 4 rookies brushed off (the other 2 are Cameron Thomas and David Duke Jr.), 2 people started the game is even more rare, and this is of course related to the Nets' injury. Aldridge, Millsap, Clarkston and Joe Harris hung up their free cards, giving the rookies a chance to play, and they didn't let that opportunity slip away.
If you don't fly, you will soar to the sky; if you don't sound, you will be a blockbuster, and you are talking about Sharpe in this field.
Sharp, 20, was born in Greenville, North Carolina, on November 6, 2001. His high school career began with South Central High School in Winterville, North Carolina. In his sophomore season, he averaged 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. In his senior year of high school, Sharp ushered in a breakthrough, averaging two double-doubles (16.5 points and 10.7 rebounds) per game, and led the team to 30 wins and 1 loss, winning the 4A class championship of the North Carolina High School League.
Just as he was receiving the honors, Sharp made the decision to transfer to Montverde College High School in Florida. This is a basketball school, and there are countless NBA players coming out of it. Familiarity includes Embiid, Ben Simmons, Russell, Barrett and Bamot, as well as two 2021 pick-up rookies, Cade Cunningham and Scotty Barnes.
Coming to such a cradle of talents, Sharp also quickly stood out. In his senior season, he averaged 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, leading Montverde High School to an unbeaten record of 25 wins and 0 losses, ranking first in the United States. As a result, Sharp was named to the McDonald's All-America High School Student Team, and was named a five-star high school student, ranking fifth among the 2020 center players.
Sharp's choice when it came to selecting colleges and universities was no surprise either. Born in North Carolina, he naturally promised to join North Carolina, for which he said no to prestigious schools such as Virginia and Georgetown. In North Carolina, Sharp made a remarkable shot, scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds in his NCAA career debut, leading North Carolina to a major victory over the University of Charleston, becoming the fourth North Carolina player in history to win a double-double in his debut after Laney Rosenbroos, Sam Perkins and Cole Anthony.
In the end, in the year of North Carolina, Sharp played in 29 games, started 4 games, averaged 9.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, shooting 51.9%. Subsequently, Sharp couldn't hold back, decided to participate in the NBA draft early, and was selected by the Suns with the 29th pick in 2021, and then was sent to the Nets with Jerwan Carter in the trade involving Shamet.
There are 4 rookies in the Nets this season, and the first to shine is Thomas. He was once the 2021 summer league scorer, averaging 27 points in 4 summer league games, ranking third in history, even stronger than Lillard in 2021; in the first game of the preseason, Thomas scored 21 points in 22 minutes off the bench, leading the team to a big away victory over the Lakers; after being delegated to the development league, Thomas even shot 46 points in a single game. Confident, he also boasted: "But any scorer, no matter what kind of opponent he faces, should be able to cut points." ”
Edwards and Duke Jr. followed. In mid-December, the Raptors were the first Nets rookie to win two double-doubles in the same game after Lopez and Ryan Anderson in April 2009. And this Nets rookie relay game, today's baton is handed over to Sharp.
With an arm span of 2.13 meters, Sharp is a strong interior line, with outstanding rim protection ability, and can also pull to the upper line to align small ones, and the defensive coverage is relatively wide. In addition, his co-defense also impressed the fans during the Summer League. Sharp is also an excellent offensive rebounder, and his cover ability has been rated elite by scouts. However, Sharp's pace is not moving fast, and offensive techniques are still under development. The industry believes that if properly groomed, he can become an insider who can both eat pie and develop offensive opportunities on his own.
Considering that the Nets' interior line, Millsap and Aldridge are old, behind Griffin and Clarkston, it is a big plus to emerge Sharp, a "little inside king" with height and tonnage, who can fight with the opponent's heavy interior line.
The Big Three is the Nets' signature, and being on the same team with these 3 big guys in the rookie season is both Sharp's misfortune and Sharp's luck. He can't get the ball and opportunities like a rookie with a high pick, but no one will blame Sharp for the ups and downs of the Nets' record; his little progress may be magnified in such a star-studded, high-exposure team. What does a high career start bring to Sharp? See. (Supine Braces/Hairy)