The Brooklyn Nets have been tearing up the league of late, and there's no denying that this has been thanks in large part to the tremendous play of new superstar recruit James Harden.

As it turns out, however, the Nets have a secret weapon that has been waiting in the wings. This comes in the form of 6-foot-11 big man Nicolas Claxton who now appears to be on his way to a breakout run.

Claxton, who is coming off a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury, has recently emerged as a key player in coach Steve Nash's rotation for the Nets. He hasn't been the most important guy on the roster, but he's played well enough to raise a few eyebrows from around the league.

For his part, however, Claxton was quick to play down the breakout narrative with the Nets:

“It definitely doesn’t feel like a breakout stretch. I’m just staying present. That’s something I’ve worked on throughout my rehab, taking everything day by day, whether it’s having a good game, you learn, if it’s a bad game and do the same thing,” Claxton said, via Nets reporter Kritian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “I definitely wouldn’t say it’s a breakout stretch. I’m just continuing to learn how to play with the guys out there and continue to grow. The sky’s the limit.”

In his past two games with the Nets, Claxton is averaging 16.5 points (on 82.4 percent shooting), 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots. The sample size is extremely small, but there's no denying that the 21-year-old has had a couple of noteworthy performances thus far.

Nash had nothing but praise for the young stud, as he expressed his confidence in Claxton's untapped potential on the Nets:

“He probably hasn’t played in a year until this week, but we all see the potential: He’s a long, athletic, mobile modern five who can dribble, pass, finish around the rim, be a lob threat, and he can defend on the perimeter or inside. So we see the potential,” Nash said about the Nets' added component. “We try to keep Nic’s feet on the ground, keep him humble and hungry and little bit by little bit, not getting ahead of himself, because if he stays the course and keeps his head down, he’s gonna be a really good player.”

The Nets are already a formidable force as it is, but with the emergence of role players such as Claxton, Brooklyn takes further steps in achieving its ultimate objective of winning the title this season.