Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is going into his fifth season in the NBA, but he really made a name for himself during the 2022-23 season. His career year last season made a lot of Nets fans excited and it also looks like there may be more where that comes from with regards to Claxton.
In a recent top-100 player ranking done by HoopsHype, Claxton ranked 64th on the list. To give some context, Claxton ranks just ahead of New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum and right behind Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes.
Claxton, 24, averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 70.5% from the field and 54.1% from the free-throw line last season. Claxton, the 31st overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, has one year left on his current contract at $9.625 million.
In a possible foreshadowing of things to come for Claxton, he said during Media Day on Monday that not winning any accolades for his defensive prowess last season “makes my blood boil” and the snub serves as more motivation for him.
Here’s what HoopsHype had to say about Claxton’s place on this list:
“What’s more, Claxton was dominant finishing out of the pick-and-roll, producing 1.36 PPP out of the play type, which placed him in the Association’s 90th percentile.
And defensively, on top of being an elite shot-blocker, Claxton is also one of the league’s better centers when it comes to switching onto ball-handlers thanks to his quick feet and length.
He may be a bit thin, hurting him on the glass at times, and his offensive game is limited to around the basket but even so, Claxton is one of the most promising young big men in the league and a true building block for the Brooklyn Nets.”
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