NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe has a huge season ahead of him as he's projected to be the starting center for the Nets for the first time in his six-year career. Brooklyn traded longtime starting center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls this past offseason as part of the deal to acquire forward Julius Randle and Sharpe discussed what the adjustment to a starter has been like.

"I haven't been a starter in the NBA. I've started some games over these past seasons, but as the refs get to learn me more, hopefully the whistle goes the other way," Sharpe said after Friday's practice. In reference to how tight the whistle is for Sharpe, he had an interesting outing in Brooklyn's 144-128 preseason finale loss to the Miami Heat as he had 11 points and six rebounds, but also dealt with foul trouble for the majority of the game.

"As you see in the playoffs, they really don't call a lot of stuff, so that's our main objective. But, we got to get there first," Sharpe continued. "So, just controlling myself during the games I do get the least amount of fouls. In the games I do get more fouls, just like controlling myself through the flow of the game."

Sharpe, 24, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 60.1% from the field and 67.8% from the free-throw line. With Claxton off the roster, Sharpe is set up for the kind of season where he will be the starter with center Mo Wagner backing him up, but the former North Carolina Tar Heel will have to show that he can stay out of foul trouble in most games.

Against the Heat, Sharpe had to defend the rim against the likes of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and center Nick Richards, but it seemed like the entire team struggled with that aspect of the defensive gameplan. Sharpe isn't shying away from the opportunity in front of him this season, though. "It's like another game to me, just more opportunity. That's all I see it as," Sharpe said when asked what being the starting center during preseason has been like.