Nets already facing injury mess with DayRon Sharpe, Trendon Watford out for weeks

SAN DIEGO — The Nets haven’t even hit their preseason opener before being hit with injuries.Forward Trendon Watford and center Day’Ron Sharpe will each miss several weeks with left hamstring strains, after sustaining the injuries during training camp practices last week.Neither made the trip with the Nets for the Southern California leg of training camp, left home in Brooklyn to be evaluated by the medical staff.That evaluation revealed the strains, with both players having begun rehabilitation.They’ll be sidelined from on-court activity.

The Nets will update Watford’s status in two weeks, while Sharpe won’t be updated for six weeks.The 22-year-old Sharpe is the only pure center on the Brooklyn roster after starter Nic Claxton, who will also miss the preseason opener Tuesday against the Clippers with a hamstring injury, although the Nets have claimed that is purely precautionary.The injury forces second-year pro Noah Clowney — who could’ve competed for the starting power forward spot — into starting at center in Claxton’s absence, and being his only backup when the veteran returns.The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Sharpe is one of the league’s best offensive rebounders, on a team in desperate need of help on the offensive glass.Sharpe, who is in the last year of his rookie contract, averaged 6.8 points and an impressive 6.4 rebounds in just 15.1 minutes last season.

The bruising big’s 16.3 offensive rebound percentage is third-best in the NBA among all players who’d logged at least a dozen games last season.Missing him for a month-and-a-half — at least — will be a blow.Watford was re-signed as a restricted free agent this summer after finding a role down the stretch as a secondary playmaker and point forward....