Going into the 2023-24 season, there were high expectations for Nets Center Nic Claxton after coming off an impressive 2022-23 season, averaging 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks on 70.5% FG—the best FG% in the NBA that season—and finishing 9th in DPOY voting. However, 2023-24 was a down year for Claxton, averaging 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks on 63% FG, with a slight regression on defense. Despite having an underwhelming season, the Nets re-signed Claxton to a 4-year, $100M contract, becoming the first drafted player in franchise history to sign a $100M contract.
One of the possible reasons the Nets felt comfortable giving Claxton this contract is the belief that Claxton’s individual regression was due to the Nets' poor roster construction and bad coaching, as Jacque Vaughn was fired during the All-Star break due to the team underperforming. Under Vaughn, the Nets were the 21st defense in the NBA, often running drop coverage, something many players struggled with. Under Kevin Ollie, the Nets had a slight leap in defensive rating, ranking 15th in the NBA post-All-Star break with Claxton as the team’s defensive anchor. This, in combination with the Nets not having a pick-and-roll ball handler—something vital for Claxton’s success on the offensive side of the ball—made it fair to excuse Claxton for taking a slight step back in the 2023-24 season.
Roughly halfway into the 2024-25 season, it has not looked good for Claxton on an individual level. Due to a combination of hamstring and back injuries, Claxton came off the bench and was on a minutes restriction. Despite this, he looked impactful. In his first 6 games, Claxton averaged 9.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks on 71% FG in just 22 minutes per game. However, since re-entering the starting lineup, in his last 27 games, Claxton is averaging 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.2 blocks on 52% FG in 27 minutes per game. Defensively, the Nets, for the season, have been the 25th-best defense in the NBA, despite Claxton being the defensive anchor for most of the season.
The offensive woes can easily be explained by the fact that the Nets traded their PG Dennis Schroder, in addition to the injury to their leading scorer Cam Thomas. It makes logical sense why Claxton has been struggling on the offensive side of the ball. However, the concern is the defense. At one point, it was believed that Claxton could be a DPOY candidate. The issue is that the Nets have been a bottom-10 defense in back-to-back seasons with Claxton as the starting center. The sample size is large enough to claim that Claxton’s team defense and rim protection by itself aren’t enough to carry the Nets defensively. Claxton’s on-ball and switch defense have always been elite. However, the only times the Nets have been a good team defense is when Claxton’s been paired with another weak-side shot blocker to help clean up defensive mistakes. In 2021-22, when the Nets were ranked 16th in defense, it was Kevin Durant. In the last 11 games of the 2023-24 season, when the Nets had the 15th-best defense during that stretch, it was Noah Clowney.
It is still too early to really blame Claxton for the team’s poor defense over the last couple of seasons. However, assuming Claxton is going to be a long-term piece for the team going forward, the Nets need to start showing more positive defense down the stretch of this season.
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