Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton had quite the breakout campaign in 2022-23 when he showed the NBA world what he can do on both sides of the floor when given the opportunity. As a result, he is getting the respect that he rightfully deserves when it comes to where he ranks in the league.
In a recent article by CBS Sports, in which the outlet released its annual top-100 player rankings, Claxton projects as the 79th-best player in the NBA by the end this upcoming season. One interesting thing to point out is that Claxton did not make their list at all last season when they did their annual ranking.
Claxton, 24, in a season in which he finished tied for the ninth-most votes in voting for Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 70.5% from the field, leading the league in that metric. Claxton not only showed his incredible ability to defend all over the floor, but he also showed how much he’s grown on the offensive end as well.
Here’s what CBS Sports had to say about Claxton’s ranking on the list:
“One of 2022-23’s breakout players, Claxton was a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate for the Nets. Few bigs are as comfortable switching onto the perimeter and, now that he’s bulked up a bit, few can bully him on the interior anymore. Claxton’s free-throw shooting (54.1%) still needs to improve, but his finishing (78% at the rim, per Cleaning the Glass) is otherworldly and he’s crafty with dribble-handoffs and in the short roll.”
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