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The Brooklyn Nets are 4-1 over their last five games, and their surging defense is responsible. Jordi Fernandez's squad ranks first defensively during the winning stretch, allowing 96.6 points per game on 40.7 shooting while forcing 15.0 turnovers per game.
Following a slow start to the season, a Nic Claxton resurgence has been central to Brooklyn's success.
“Our bigs, they've held it down,” D'Angelo Russell said after Friday's 102-86 win over the Miami Heat. “They've contested everything at the rim, been physical in the paint, held the paint down, which has allowed our guards to be more physical… Nic was yelling at us all night, trying to challenge us, put a battery in our back, and a lot of guys responded… It's what Nic does. It's contagious. He's so emotionally into the game that we feed off of him.”
“If he's frustrated, [we'll ask]. ‘Why are you frustrated?' And we try to help with that. Usually, it may be something like a guard got beat in the lane, and he may have had to foul or something like that. He challenges us, and we respond. So that's what he does. He's the anchor here.”
After signing a four-year, $97 million contract, Claxton struggled to produce while battling injuries early this season. However, during the Nets' 4-1 stretch, he's resembled the player that drew Defensive Player of the Year hype in recent seasons.
Nic Claxton leading Nets defensive resurgence during winning stretch
Claxton is averaging 3.0 blocks per game over his last five appearances. His activity as a pick-and-roll defender and rim protector has overwhelmed opposing scorers. After accepting the Nets head coaching job, Jordi Fernandez said the sixth-year center will win Defensive Player of the Year in coming seasons.
His opinion hasn't changed.
“I believe he can get Defensive Player of the Year. Right now, my challenge is [for him to] do it consistently throughout four quarters because we need him [to],” Fernandez said. “This stretch, the last five games, he and Day'Ron were really, really good. And we need that level of energy, communication, intensity. I'm very happy with the steps, the positive steps he's taking, and like I said, he has been anchoring our defense. The team benefits from it.”
Claxton emerged as one of the NBA's top perimeter-defending big men over the last two seasons. He ranked fourth in stocks (steals + blocks) during that span, trailing only Anthony Davis, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brook Lopez. His nimble feet, length and defensive instincts were a weapon in Brooklyn's switch-everything scheme.
However, the Nets have altered their defense under Fernandez, leaning into aggressive hedges and blitzes against the pick-and-roll. Added reps and improved health have Claxton feeling like his old self.
“I'm just trying to show them my energy in a positive way. That's what I've been trying to focus on, just on my emotions, just use it in a positive way, to motivate myself and the team,” he said. “I'm just figuring it out, just figuring out my spots where I can get blocks. [My] explosiveness [is] coming back. It's a different defense. So just figuring everything out, just taking pride on the defensive side of the ball.”
The Nets' draft position has dominated the conversation surrounding the team this season. However, following their 4-1 stretch, they are closer to the Eastern Conference play-in (3.5 games) than top-three lottery odds (5.5 games). With leading scorer Cam Thomas sidelined and point guards Dennis Schroder and Ben Simmons no longer on the roster, Brooklyn's continued success will be predicated on defense.
Since day one of training camp, Fernandez has harped on a defensive identity when outlining his vision. Brooklyn's last five games have offered a glimpse of what the team is capable of when bought in.
“I think it's been consistent work and then showing up and buying into what we're trying to do,” Fernandez said of his team's recent success. “There's no perfect system. The only way is when everybody pushes in the same direction, and everybody's trying to do the same things. The little things of communicating and engaging, those things are very important for a connected group.
And right now, we're seeing results. We have to keep growing, and our system has to keep developing so we have more things in our arsenal, so this way, we can adjust in different ways. But I'm very happy with how we're growing at this at this moment.”
