Brooklyn Nets: The unique rim protection of Nic Claxton

The Brooklyn Nets’ selection of Nic Claxton hasn’t generated a ton of buzz, but his interior defensive presence could prove valuable from day one.

With the 31st overall pick, the Brooklyn Nets selected 6’11” Georgia forward Nic Claxton. Attention may already have shifted to free agency, but Nets fans should take the time to appreciate the new addition to the franchise.

(Credit to KenPom, NBA.com and Sports-Reference for statistics, and 2for1 Hoops for GIFs.)

Coming into the draft, a versatile interior presence was among the team’s most pressing needs. Jarrett Allen and Ed Davis were both solid last season, but the team didn’t really have any other big man options. With Davis a free agent this offseason, interior players likely became even more of a focus in the pre-draft process. So even before one takes a close look at Claxton, the pick makes logical sense.

The 20-year-old made a lot of improvement in his sophomore season, improving statistically across all categories as he received more playing time.

Per KenPom, Claxton was 68th in the nation last season with a block rate of 8.0 percent, providing evidence of his defensive ability. Although this statistic is impressive on its own, it’s even more so when one combines it with two other measures.

Some players achieve high block rates by being overly aggressive and therefore committing a lot of fouls, but Claxton was only called for 2.8 fouls per game. This is even more impressive when one considers the forward averaged A LOT of minutes (31.6 per game). As players get tired, they can be a bit more foul-prone, but this didn’t seem to affect the 220-pound Claxton, suggesting conditioning wasn’t an issue (many feel he could benefit from adding some weight/strength, however).

To summarize, Claxton was not only able to be an effective shot-blocker, he was able to do so without fouling AND while playing a lot of minutes. This is quite the rare combination. In fact, only Claxton and Louisiana’s JaKeenan Grant met the following statistical profile in the 2018-19 season:

1. At least 31.6 minutes per game
2. Block percentage of at least 8.0 percent and
3. Less than or equal to 2.8 fouls per game

Going back all the way to the 2009-10 season, only 29 players have checked all three boxes, most notably Anthony Davis (2011-12) and Nerlens Noel (2012-13).

Even if the Nets retain both Allen and Davis, the team would still benefit from an interior defensive presence. Last season, Brooklyn averaged the third-fewest blocks per game in the NBA at 4.1 (ahead of Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers).

Claxton offers more than just interior defense, however, as he has the mobility to potentially guard on the perimeter as well.

On the offensive end of the floor, Claxton was especially good at drawing fouls and getting to the line. He was 145th in the nation at drawing fouls and 41st at getting to the line. He left some points at the foul line by shooting only 64.1 percent, but he improved from 52.3 percent the season prior. There’s even some hope he could develop a jumper one day.

Early on, however, Claxton’s offensive role should be fairly simple: dive on pick-and-rolls, set screens and crash the offensive glass. The forward is capable of doing this well, but he’s also shown flashes of ball-handling and passing that give him significant upside down the road.

Despite all of Claxton’s potential, he is still fairly raw, particularly on the offensive end of the floor. He already can contribute defensively, but will need to add some weight and strength to fully translate these abilities to the next level.

Regardless, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about Nic Claxton, and he definitely fits a need for Brooklyn. Now that the pick has been appreciated, Nets fans have permission to turn their attention to free agency.