Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton took a huge leap in his career in the 2022-23 season in almost every way. Not only did he increase his points per game from 8.7 to 12.6 (career-high), he also averaged a career-high in blocks per game (2.5) and rebounds per game (9.2).
The growth that Claxton showed last season begs the question: what is his ceiling? For starters, based on Claxton finishing tied for ninth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting with reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, we can see that Claxton is one of the most impactful defenders in the game.
His jump in points per game shows that he has came a long way on the offensive end as he was finishing at the rim better than he ever has been. Along with the customary lobs to the rim, Claxton also showed an ability to be efficient with his post-ups and even displayed some face-up game in the post.
Without further ado, how can Claxton access his ceiling?