The Brooklyn Nets selected Georgia center Nicolas Claxton with the 31st pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Here are three reasons why Claxton was a solid choice.
After trading out of the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft to preserve cap space, the Brooklyn Nets made it clear their focus this offseason will mainly be on free agency. However, they still needed to add cheap role players in the second round of the draft.
By selecting the uber-athletic Nicolas Claxton, they were able to do just that. After serving as a backup during his freshman season at Georgia, the 6’11” center started all 32 games for Tom Crean’s squad last year and was one of the nation’s breakout players.
Claxton more than tripled his scoring output as a sophomore and averaged 13.0 points per game after recording just 3.9 points per game as a freshman. He also saw his rebounds per game jump from 3.9 to 8.6 per game between year one and year two.
Claxton’s improved play led hm to be named to the All-SEC Second Team and saw hm secure an invite to the NBA Draft Combine.
At the combine is where the the South Carolina native really solidified his status as a big-time draft prospect. Claxton posted the best max vertical leap, standing vertical leap and lane agility time among centers.
He also showed off his defensive prowess during the combine’s 5-on-5 scrimmage, where he recorded an insane seven blocks in his first 10 minutes of action.
Right now, Claxton is a shot-blocking and strong rebounding big that is still he growing into his body. He flashes the ability to handle the ball and shoot on offense, but his game is far from a finished project on that end of the court.
All in all, he was a very solid pick for the Brooklyn Nets. Here are the three main reasons why.