How Nic Claxton has emerged as Nets third star during breakout season

01/27/2023 07:37 PM

The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2022-23 season headlined by a big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. Durant and Irving have been brilliant while carrying Brooklyn up the Eastern Conference standings following a dysfunctional start. The duo was the league’s only pairing to be named All-Star starters Thursday. But it has been Nic Claxton, not Simmons, who has been Brooklyn’s third star this year. Claxton has cemented himself as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, ranking second in defensive rating among players on pace to play at least 2000 minutes, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo. Claxton leads the league in blocks per game (2.7) this season. He recently recorded three or more rejections in 12 straight appearances, the longest streak in Nets franchise history. In addition to his elite rim protection, the center has continued his development as one of the league’s top perimeter-defending bigs. Brooklyn switches ball screens at a higher rate than any team in the league, a luxury they can afford due to Claxton’s unique skillset. The big man frequently overwhelms ball-handers using his quick feet and 7’3″ wingspan. Claxton has defended the most isolations in the league this season by a wide margin with opponents shooting just 34.7 percent. While his defensive leap has been dramatic, the Georgia product has long been known for his capabilities on that end. It has been Claxton’s eye-opening offensive development this season that is turning heads across the NBA. The fourth-year Net has set a new career-high in points in each of his last three games, most recently scoring 27 on 11-of-13 shooting Thursday against Detroit. The performance continues a career-best streak of five consecutive games scoring 20-plus for the former second-round pick. During that span, Claxton has shot an incredible 48-of-59 (81.4 percent) from the field. The bulk of Claxton’s points have come off put-backs, duck-ins, or rolls to the basket with the big man developing an array of crafty finishes around the rim. He is converting on his lefty hook at a career-best rate and has even looked comfortable with his off hand while leading the league in field goal percentage (73.4). However, the breakout center’s most impressive development has come as a self-creator while handling the ball in the short roll, fastbreak, or mid-post. Claxton has been Brooklyn’s saving grace during Durant’s absence with Ben Simmons having one of his worst stretches of the season (5.7 points on 5.2 shots per game in January). The big man has provided the team’s only consistent source of offense outside of Kyrie Irving. “It’s (added) opportunity, and it’s confidence,” Claxton said Thursday of his career-best stretch. “Just picking my spots and being assertive, being aggressive. I’m in a good flow right now. Just having fun, it’s unfortunate we lost, but (with) my individual success, I just gotta keep growing every single game and keep doing what I’m doing.” Claxton’s playmaking ability didn’t appear out of nowhere as he frequently handled the ball during his two seasons at Georgia. His father Charles also played at Georgia and had a brief stint with the Celtics in 1996. The South Carolina native has spoken at length about his father’s emphasis on his guard skills from an early age. That tireless commitment to improving his game has translated to his pro career, and Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said Claxton is reaping the benefits. “He’s done the work,” Vaughn said Thursday. “Whether that’s on an optional day when you have the option to shoot, to workout, to not workout. The majority of the time Nic Claxton is either finishing, working on his free throws, or working on his body. So it’s using those option days to put in the work, and I think you always get rewarded for your work.” The Nets coach has been highly complimentary of Claxton’s professionalism and attention to detail behind the scenes during his breakout season. The coach offered an example Thursday in a lengthy anecdote: “A prime example is I’m leaving Philly the other night and I go to the restroom, and we have some cold tubs that are in the bathroom. There’s two cold tubs in there and the two guys in them are Royce O’Neale and Nic Claxton,” Vaughn said. “And I’m leaving, washing my hands, and they’re talking about being prepared to play tomorrow. That professionalism, that maturity, will go a long way for Nic Claxton.” “It’s paying off for him. The preparation, the dedication to your craft to show up and be prepared every night, there’s something to it, and he’s getting rewarded for it.” Durant shared a similar sentiment when speaking at Nets practice Tuesday. “He understands what he has to do to be an impact player every night,” he said. “If you just saw, he was the last guy off the floor just now. So, he’s taken that opportunity and seized the moment and is going out there and playing great ball. That consistency is something he’s been trying to build the last couple of years. And you’re seeing it right now.” Claxton’s two-way development in the first year of a two-year, $17 million extension has been one of Brooklyn’s top bright spots during a roller-coaster season. As the center’s responsibilities have grown, so have his consistency and confidence. Claxton held Joel Embiid to nine points on 3-of-10 shooting while forcing the Sixers center into two turnovers Wednesday. He even picked up a technical foul after an emphatic block of an Embiid dunk attempt in the first quarter. Nic Claxton DENIES Joel Embiid (via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/rrwcjWPrKg — Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 26, 2023 Joel Embiid and Nic Claxton have a chat and end up with double technicalspic.twitter.com/7yLCBoXz7Q — Dime (@DimeUPROXX) January 26, 2023 And Claxton said he had some words for the MVP candidate after Embiid was unhappy there was no foul called on the play. “I blocked his shot, and I think he was upset there was no foul call,” he said. “I said something to him. He told me to repeat it, I repeated it and he walked up on me… It’s just competition. Just having some fun.” The back and forth with one of the league’s top two centers is a sign of Claxton’s growing confidence. And the 23-year-old couldn’t help but agree when asked if an extended stretch of All-Star level play has added to his swagger in his fourth season. “Just putting together a full body of work so far this season and not having to sit out any games, being fully in the rotation. You know, you can talk your s*** a little more,” he said. “So it’s definitely some confidence that comes with that.” The post How Nic Claxton has emerged as Nets third star during breakout season appeared first on ClutchPoints.