Michael Porter Jr. gave a glowing review of this talent who's played on the floor with him.
Michael Porter Jr. overcame an illness to rejoin the Brooklyn Nets, only to see a different starting lineup.
But he handed high praise to a 24-year-old who's risen as starter in the absence of one star.
Porter Jr. raved about the play of Day'Ron Sharpe -- especially after the 6-foot-10 forward delivered consecutive double-digit scoring nights with top rebounder Nic Claxton out.
MPJ himself told reporters that Sharpe can be a starter.
“Day'Day's a beast. He's a starting five in the NBA,” Porter Jr. said after the Denver Nuggets contest won by the Nets 127-115. “But we have two starting fives: Clax and him."
Sharpe, who began his career with the Phoenix Suns, has proven to become valuable down low in recent games for the Nets. Even with no "Clax," Porter believes the on-court system doesn't change much for Brooklyn.
"So, it's good that when Clax is out, you can put Day in there, and there's no drop-off," he said.
Are there elements of Sharpe's game that differentiates from what Claxton does on the floor?
"They both can make passes, they both can finish around the rim, they both rebound, they both defend," Porter said.
Overall, he likes the high motor the former North Carolina Tar Heel plays with on the floor.
"Day'Day plays very, very hard, and we needed everything he gave tonight," Porter said. "He's a great locker room guy. I'm very fortunate to be able to play on a team with two big men who are as good as him and Clax.”
But now comes if Sharpe will see a decrease in minutes once Claxton returns -- who's been out due to what's called personal reasons by the team.
Erik Slater of ClutchPoints asked if Sharpe must soon accept the lesser minutes and return to bench duty.
“I just feel like whenever I get an opportunity, I produce. Regardless of whether I'm playing 13 or 30 or 48 [minutes], I'm just grateful for the opportunity," Sharpe tells Slater. "A lot of people in the world want this opportunity to play in the NBA. A lot of guys in the NBA are still waiting for their opportunity to play. I was one of those guys, my first two to three years, trying to get an opportunity to crack some minutes."
He relishes the fact he can contribute.
"So I just take the opportunity to be grateful for the minutes I do get, regardless of whether they're low or high," he said.
Brooklyn returns to action on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic. The Nets are 11-22 overall.