Over a quarter of the way through the Brooklyn Nets' season, Nic Claxton continues to play the best basketball of his career. Claxton notched a triple-double during Saturday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, posting 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on 5-of-9 shooting.
It marked his second triple-double of the season after recording zero during his first six NBA campaigns
Claxton is averaging 13.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.4 blocks on 55.7 percent shooting this season. The veteran center's playmaking has been a revelation for the Nets, who have tasked him with added on-ball responsibilities. His 23.1 assist percentage is the third-highest among all centers, behind only Nikola Jokic (47.1) and Alperen Sengun (29.5).
“I'm just seeing the floor, finding my teammates. I just feel like I've grown a lot as a facilitator. And when you got teammates like Michael [Porter Jr.], always open, always making shots, it makes it pretty easy,” Claxton told YES Network following Saturday's win.
The most impressive aspect of the big man's development as a playmaker has been his ability to take care of the ball.
Nic Claxton continues career-best start in expanded role with Nets
Claxton is averaging just 1.5 turnovers per game despite posting a career-high 18.0 percent usage rate. His 2.94 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks third among 56 centers posting above a 15.0 percent usage rate, trailing only Kristaps Porzingis (3.33) and Jokic (3.16).
Claxton has developed a high-level connection with Michael Porter Jr., who is enjoying a breakout stretch as the Nets' lead offensive option.
“Mike's just an extremely high-level basketball player,” Claxton said. “He was in Denver for all those years playing with Joker, and he just knows how to get open. He knows when to cut, he knows when to come off the dribble handoffs. So he's making the game a lot easier for myself, and for everybody, really.”
Porter Jr. has emerged as an All-Star candidate while fueling a Nets turnaround, averaging 28.2 points — the 10th-most in the NBA — on 51/42/83 shooting splits over his last 13 appearances. His chemistry with Claxton on dribble handoffs, backdoor cuts, and high-low passes has provided a steady flow of open looks.
“We're getting better and better at reading the defense. I feel like we're just learning each other's game a little more,” Porter Jr. said of his minutes with Claxton. “He's looking for me out on the floor when the ball gets stuck. We're getting into easy action, which we weren't doing early in the season. We were kind of getting stuck a lot. So I just feel like we're flowing better and getting used to each other more.”
In addition to his passing, Claxton has been equally impressive as a driver amid his added on-ball reps. He's averaging 6.7 drives per 36 minutes, nearly double any other season in his career, and shooting 50.6 percent on those plays.
NIC. CLAXTON.
TRIPLE-DOUBLE.#NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/JrCYP5ZVTU
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 7, 2025
Following a slow start to the season defensively, Claxton has begun to make an impact. He blocked three shots during Saturday's win and has recorded multiple blocks in nine of his last 18 appearances.
After posting a league-worst 128.5 defensive rating during their 0-7 start, the Nets have posted a 115.9 rating (17th) over their last 16 games (6-10).
