Throughout his career, Sharpe has been a spot starter but has never held down a spot in the first five with any regularity. Over his first five seasons, Sharpe has started only 21 total games, including just seven last season.<\/p>\n
As one of the best rebounders in the league, Sharpe has blossomed into one of the most reliable backup big men around. Despite Brooklyn<\/a>\u2019s struggles over the past few years, Sharpe has been an undeniable bright spot.<\/p>\n While his success as a backup has naturally made him the starting center going into next season, the Nets should be willing to reevaluate their decision throughout the year. Sharpe certainly has the talent needed to be effective on the floor, but there is more responsibility that comes with being a starter.<\/p>\n Most notably, Sharpe\u2019s minute totals should sharply increase from his first few years. Last season, Claxton started 68 of his 69 appearances and averaged 27.8 minutes a night.<\/p>\n If Jordi Fernandez is ready to hand over that same role to Sharpe, it would be a steep increase from the career-high 18.7 minutes per game he played a season ago. Perhaps Sharpe has been preparing for a larger role and will be ready for more minutes, plus his small sample size as a starter last season is encouraging on that front.<\/p>\n
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