Last night the Grizzlies fell to the Brooklyn Nets 126-115. The Grizzlies have now lost four straight games, but this was by far the least competitive of the losses. They struggled to guard the perimeter, and the lack of size truly hurt them. Day'Ron Sharpe, who has been linked to the Grizzlies in the past, was a key factor in the Nets' win.
Day'Ron Sharpe was a free agent this past summer and was a logical target for the Grizzlies. However, he ended up returning to Brooklyn on a new two-year $12 million dollar deal. For the season, Sharpe was averaging 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in just 18.7 minutes per game. Sharpe has proven to be a productive backup center despite the Nets' struggles this season.
Given that the Grizzlies needed a quality backup to Zach Edey over the offseason, Sharpe would've been a great choice. Last night's game showed that the Grizzlies missed a great opportunity.
Sharpe gave the Grizzlies plenty of trouble
Sharpe only played 17 minutes in the game, but it did not take long for him to make an impact. He ended up having 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists while giving the Nets a significant energy boost. His defensive playmaking was also on display too, as he added two steals and a block. Sharpe's dunk on Rayan Rupert was arguably his best play of the entire game.
The Grizzlies had still been able to keep games competitive lately despite lacking any true frontcourt players. It is also fair to consider that the Grizzlies had only eight healthy players; however, their rhythm on both ends was inconsistent at best. A huge reason was because of how well Sharpe played in his limited minutes.
The Grizzlies needed a quality defensive big
Zach Edey had made a significant leap in his second season before suffering a stress reaction in his left ankle in December. The Grizzlies played at a very high level with Edey on the floor, but throughout this season, they have lacked answers without him. The Jaren Jackson Jr. trade has given the Grizzlies significant flexibility, but losing Jackson Jr. has significantly weakened the defense.
Before being traded in the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal, Jock Landale gave the Grizzlies a significant offensive boost. However, he did not offer the defense off the bench the Grizzlies needed. Even though it made sense for Sharpe to return to Brooklyn, the Grizzlies wasted a great buy-low opportunity for a quality Zach Edey backup. Sharpe would have been a strong defensive option to overcome the non-Edey minutes for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies will have opportunities to improve their frontcourt this summer via draft or free agency. However, Day'Ron Sharpe showed the Grizzlies last night that they wasted an opportunity to make a low-risk and potentially high-reward signing.