Nets' Nic Claxton has critical take on performance after receiving near-$100 million contract

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The Brooklyn Nets expected Nic Claxton to reach another level when they committed nearly $100 million to him this summer. He hasn’t done it early this season. In fact, he’s regressed, and he knows it.

"I’m not pleased with nothing, honestly. I need to be better, more consistent,” Claxton said of his performance. "[I need to improve] everywhere: rebounding, free throws, protecting the rim, more blocks. I need to do everything better. Be more aggressive on offense. Everything."

Asked Nic Claxton for one area he's been pleased with his performance this season and one he'd like to improve:

"I'm not pleased with nothing… I need to be better." pic.twitter.com/LuQkEVmsDP

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) December 24, 2024

Several developments have contributed to Claxton’s slow start to the 2024-25 campaign. The sixth-year center missed the entire preseason due to a hamstring injury, which forced him to play on a minutes restriction to start the year. He also missed time due to a lower back injury, which he received an epidural for and later revealed he had been battling since the summer.

Analyzing Nic Claxton’s slow start to the season with rebuilding Nets

Offensively, Claxton has averaged 9.3 points, albeit while playing five fewer minutes per game than his previous two seasons. After ranking fifth in the NBA in field goal percentage over the last two years, he’s shooting 59.4 percent, his lowest since his rookie campaign.

His pick-and-roll impact has plummeted, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving being replaced by Spencer Dinwiddie, Dennis Schroder and Ben Simmons as the Nets’ primary ball-handlers during the last two seasons. Claxton averaged 1.36 points per possession as a pick-and-roll roll man in 2022-23, the fifth-highest among 80 big men to run the play over 50 times. He’s averaging 1.07 points per possession on the play this season.

Claxton’s pedestrian offensive numbers have taken another hit with Simmons replacing Schroder at point guard over Brooklyn’s last four games. The 25-year-old has averaged 7.8 points on 44.8 percent shooting. He turned in his worst shooting performance of the season during Monday’s 110-95 loss to the Miami Heat, scoring six points while converting 1-of-7 attempts.

"It's been different [with Ben replacing Dennis],” he said following the loss. “Obviously, the space is different, but today, I just couldn’t finish. I was 1-for-7. I don’t know if I’ve ever since I’ve been in the league shot 1-for-7. It's different, but I'll adjust… They were good [looks]. Most of them were good… Those are just like those little short shots, the hooks and easy layups. I just gotta finish them."

On the surface, Claxton’s defensive dropoff has been more concerning.

Is Nic Claxton making a defensive impact this season?

The former second-round pick had established a reputation as one of the NBA’s top defensive centers over the previous two seasons, ranking second in stocks (steals + blocks) behind only Brook Lopez. He averaged 3.1 per game during that span compared to 2.0 this season.

However, the advanced numbers paint a kinder picture. With Claxton on the floor, opponents score 4.4 fewer points per 100 possessions, placing him in the 78th percentile among NBA big men, per CleaningTheGlass. He’s also securing a career-high 35.7 percent of his contested defensive rebounds, ranking 11th among 42 centers to play at least 400 minutes. That number was lower than 26 percent during the previous two years.

The Nets have not put Claxton in optimal situations to perform during a tanking season. However, teams don’t give $100 million contracts to players who only perform when conditions are favorable. They give them to players who produce regardless of circumstance.

Claxton must raise his play significantly to live up to Brooklyn’s near-nine-figure commitment, and he’s confident he will.

"Time, rhythm, and mentally just keeping myself in a good place with everything,” he said of his approach amid his slow start. “Just finding that consistency and finding my swagger through everything that’s going on. It’s on me, though. I’ll be better."

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