Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton has been one of the bright spots for a Nets team that has gone through a great amount of change in the past month thanks to the NBA trade deadline. Even before the deadline, Claxton was making a case for being the MIP (Most Improved Player) and the DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year) this season.
In Tuesday’s 118-96 win over the Houston Rockets, Claxton had 18 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks while shooting 8-of-9 from the field. Against the Rockets, Claxton showed that he had what it takes to affect the game on both ends of the floor, especially on the defensive end with the way that he defends the rim. However, Claxton also showed how much he can provide on the offensive end when the team needs a bucket.
On several occasions, Claxton either scored a tough basket in the post or he caught the ball outside of the paint and used his dribble to get by his man for the bucket or draw contact to get to the free-throw line. Claxton has not shown his euro-step in the lane recently, but that move is part of his bag as well. Claxton spoke immediately after the game about his mindset during the Rockets game:
“I’m just trying to get back to myself, figuring out, picking my spots with a new team. It’s gonna be a process and I’m just taking it game by game and today you know, I’m gonna continue to make improvements.”
When Claxton was asked what allowed the Nets to change the momentum of the game after Houston built an 11-point lead early on:
“We just had to lock in defensively. they were getting easy looks and we all just had to come together, stick to the game plan and get stops. That’s what started our offense.”
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