Rookie Danny Wolf's all-around game and Day'Ron Sharpe's historic rebounding dominate, hinting at a formidable future for Brooklyn's young frontcourt.
The Brooklyn Nets overwhelmed the Chicago Bulls defensively on their way to a 123-115 win Monday night, and a certain frontcourt pairing contributed heavily to the outcome.
Brooklyn's 6-foot-11 rookie forward Danny Wolf starred on both ends, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, two steals and three blocks in 25 minutes of work, keeping up with Chicago's shifty guards in the process.
As for the 6-foot-10 fifth-year center Day'Ron Sharpe, his night was one for the history books. According to Nets Daily's Collin Helwig, Sharpe's four offensive boards (seven total rebounds) against Chicago moved him to second-place on the Nets' all-time offensive rebounds list while maintaining an all-time NBA record.
Wolf's versatility on both sides of the ball pairs excellently with Sharpe's offensive rebounding prowess and overall hustle on the boards, giving Nets fans hope that the pair can be a fearsome duo moving forward.
Their effectiveness against the Bulls comes just one game after a sensational effort in Saturday's win over the Washington Wizards that led to both combining for even more history.
With Sharpe's 19-point, nine-rebound, four-assist game and Wolf's contributions of 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists, the pair became the first in Nets history to record at least 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench in the same game.
What makes the Sharpe-Wolf duo such an intriguing one is their versatility in different areas of the game on both ends.
Wolf's natural athleticism and coordination at 6-foot-11 allows him to affect games with his ball-handling and outside shot-making. As for Sharpe, his 265-pound frame and endless hustle makes him one of the greatest offensive rebounding talents in league history and an absolute bully down low.
On both offense and defense, their skill-sets are never redundant when sharing the floor, and they each have unique areas of the floor that they're known to frequent despite their similar stature.
Wolf's guard skills and quick feet also make him a matchup nightmare for plenty of opposing backcourts, and it's been seen that he can effectively funnel would-be rim-runners right into the open arms of Sharpe for an emphatic swat. Even still, Wolf's proven to possess some shot-blocking ability.
The two are special, respectively, but the fact that their games never clash could make the Nets' backup frontcourt a scary one for years to come, especially with Brooklyn's skilled backcourt talents Egor Dëmin and Nolan Traoré stationed as their pick-and-roll partners for the foreseeable future.
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