Nic Claxton is big reason why the Nets have played well lately

Thursday evening’s playoff rematch between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets shall be like many big-time NBA regular-season matchups — incomplete.

Kevin Durant is at the moment out with an MCL sprain, and Jaylen Brown is listed as questionable after struggling an adductor harm throughout the Celtics’ Wednesday evening victory in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The recreation will nonetheless have Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum — barring any last-minute modifications — however a participant who shall be value watching simply as a lot as the stars is rising star Nic Claxton.

He is at the moment taking part in the greatest basketball of his four-season profession. Claxton is at the moment averaging 11.9 factors per recreation and eight.3 rebounds, whereas additionally main the NBA in blocked photographs per recreation (2.6) and subject aim share (73.8).

Of all the issues that the Nets had off the courtroom at the starting of the season, their basketball weak point was thought of to be measurement and protection. The Nets let one among their greatest defenders — Bruce Brown — stroll in free company. With Durant getting old, and an undersized backcourt, it was affordable to imagine that except Ben Simmons may guard each place at the similar time, the Nets would have a beneath common NBA protection.

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For those that had been doubtful on the Nets’ protection previous to the begin of this season, they forgot about Claxton. During final season’s embarrassing first-round efficiency that resulted in the Nets getting swept by Celtcs, Claxton and a handful of different position gamers helped preserve these video games shut. He didn’t begin in the sequence, however nonetheless played 24.5 minutes per recreation. When he was on the ground the Nets’ defensive ranking improved by 9.4 factors per 100 possessions.

That sequence was merely a glimpse of Claxton’s versatile defensive arsenal. He is now their beginning heart and wonderful in the paint. Of gamers who have six or extra photographs tried in opposition to 6 toes or much less from the rim in opposition to them per recreation, solely Jaren Jackson Jr. is holding opponents to a decrease field-goal share.

Claxton is additionally nice on the perimeter. The Nets swap every part on protection, and one reason they’re profitable in doing so is Claxton’s potential to protect perimeter gamers. A workforce that generally has Irving, Seth Curry, and Joe Harris on the ground at the similar time is at the moment eighth in defensive ranking. That doesn’t occur with out lengthy gamers who can swap. The Nets have a number of, and their greatest may be Claxton.

His greatest weak point is his free throw capturing. Claxton shot 60-plus p.c from the line every of the final two months of the earlier common season, so there was hope that he was enhancing. This season he is capturing 45.9 p.c from the free-throw line. That provides the Nets two key contributors in him and Ben Simmons who shoot below 50 p.c from the charity stripe.

It hasn’t sunk the offense but. The Nets nonetheless have the third-best offensive ranking in the league. Even although Claxton is a poor NBA free-throw shooter, he is nonetheless averaging a career-high in factors per recreation. Sure he can catch the lob, however his complete low-post recreation is considerably higher than it was final season, which is why he is main the league in field-goal share. In 2021-22 he made 14.3 p.c of his makes an attempt from 5 to 9 toes away from the rim. This season, he is changing at 45.4 p.c from that distance.

Without Durant for a number of weeks, will probably be a wrestle for the Nets to proceed their current surge up the Eastern Conference standings. However, with Claxton taking part in like a Most Improved Player candidate, the Nets know that if they’re wholesome when the postseason arrives, they have pretty much as good an opportunity as any workforce in the East to make the NBA Finals.