Like his team, Nick Claxton advances in the shadows but, when we look at his performances and his statistics, we see that he is among the best young interior players in the NBA. Defensively, at least.
At 24 years old, the pivot is currently averaging 12.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks with the Nets (65% shooting), he who was coming off a season averaging 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 2022/23 (and 71% shooting). Proof that he is going through the best time of his career.
Ready to break the bank…but where?
Enough to arouse the interest of several managers, since Nic Claxton will be free from any contract next summer and everything suggests that he will receive an annual salary of around twenty million dollars. HAS Brooklyn or elsewhere…
“ [Je veux] a place where I feel wanted » he announces already, concerning his intentions during the free agency future. “ I'm here for now and I hope everything works out with Brooklyn, because I love being here. »
Then Nic Claxton praised the Nets project: “ I think we have a really good core. We have Mikal [Bridges],Cam [Johnson]Ben [Simmons]… We have to stay in it, focused, and take the games one by one. It's not my job to focus on what's happening around, on what we can possibly try to bring to the team. I don't get involved and I certainly like the players in the locker room. »
Revenge compared to last season
Eager to follow the same trajectory as Bam Adebayo, the left-handed giant from Brooklyn sees himself, in the long term, “ be one of the best two-way players in the league », or these players capable of contributing positively on each side of the floor.
The fact remains that Nic Claxton must already obtain the recognition of his peers before being able to consider himself as such, he who considered himself robbed compared to his absence from one of the two best defensive fives last season…
“ I know our collective stats need to be better for me to be in the discussion » he concedes in this sense. “ This is a priority for our group currently. We have a lot of very good individual defenders, so we should definitely be in the Top 10 defenses. »
Focus on your personal development
Maybe consideration will finally come for Nic Claxton if he manages to reach the playoffs with the Nets. His objective for the season on a collective level, in particular to forget the “sweeps” of the last two years, while he obviously sets one on an individual level…
“ Be named to an All-Defensive Team or Defender of the Year and advance in each statistical category » he confides on this subject, without too much surprise. “ I'm trying to be a better basketball player, read the game better, be a better teammate and be more vocal. »
In the tough recently, Brooklyn and its pivot are in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, with a record (13-13) just in balance.
| Nicholas Claxton | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | BRK | 15 | 13 | 56.3 | 14.3 | 52.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 4.4 |
| 2020-21 | BRK | 32 | 19 | 62.1 | 20.0 | 48.4 | 1.3 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 6.6 |
| 2021-22 | BRK | 47 | 21 | 67.4 | 0.0 | 58.1 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 5.6 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 8.7 |
| 2022-23 | BRK | 76 | 30 | 70.5 | 0.0 | 54.1 | 2.4 | 6.8 | 9.2 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 12.6 |
| 2023-24 | BRK | 17 | 27 | 64.7 | 100.0 | 64.1 | 3.1 | 6.1 | 9.2 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 12.1 |
| Total | 187 | 24 | 67.5 | 20.0 | 54.9 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 7.1 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 9.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
