Fresh off signing a two-year, $17 million extension with the Brooklyn Nets last offseason, Nic Claxton has put the NBA on notice as one of the league's top defenders. The fourth-year center has transformed a Nets defense that struggled in recent years into the No. 9 unit in the league this season.
Claxton is leading the league in blocks at 2.7 per game while ranking second in defensive rating (106.7) and third in Defensive Win Shares (2.1) per Basketball-Reference. The 23-year-old had a bold take when asked about where he fits into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
“I think I should be No. 1,” Nic Claxton said in an interview with HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. “I’m defending 1 through 5 and neck-and-neck as the leading shot blocker. I’m doing everything on the defensive end for the team anchoring the defense every single night. I think I should be right there. Definitely.”
The confident take comes amid a historic stretch from the Nets center. Claxton has registered three or more blocks in eight straight games, the longest streak in the NBA this season and the third-longest in Nets history (Shawn Bradley had 11 in a row twice in 1996). In addition to Claxton's league-leading rim protection, the Georgia product has proven to be one of the top perimeter-defending bigs in the league, a skill set that has been monumental in Brooklyn's switch-heavy scheme.
Nic Claxton had Jalen Brunson in jail on switches tonight.
Clax continues to show why he is among the league's top perimeter-defending big men. pic.twitter.com/2ydLJvn62Y
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 10, 2022
Nic Claxton has guarded the most isolations in the league this season by a wide margin, allowing the fewest points per possession (0.7) among 20 players to guard 55 or more this season. The former second-round pick has also made significant strides offensively this season, leading the league in field goal percentage (73.2) by using an array of crafty finishes around the rim.
Despite his incredible leap this season, Claxton said he feels he has far more room to improve.
“I don’t like to put a ceiling on myself, but I feel like I’m barely scratching the surface right now,” he said. “I think I can be one of the best two-way players in the league in the right time and system.”
Many were surprised to see the center on the early returns of the All-Star fan vote. Claxton ranked ninth in the East frontcourt with over 250,000 votes, something he said he did not anticipate before the season.
“That would be a dream come true,” he said about the possibility of making the All-Star team. “If I’m honest, coming into the season, I wasn’t thinking I’d be an All-Star, but now that I see it’s achievable, I’ve got to shoot for that and do everything in my power to put myself in a position to be in the All-Star Game. Down the road, that’s definitely a goal to be a consistent All-Star in the league.”
Claxton’s defensive skill set will only become more valuable as the league shifts towards more size and ball handling on the perimeter. As it pertains to Defensive Player of the Year this season, the Nets center would represent a smaller-profile name than recent winners. Rudy Gobert has won three of the last six awards, with Marcus Smart, Draymond Green and Giannis Antetokounmpo claiming the others.
Nic Claxton's two-way impact will be even more vital in the coming weeks as the Nets look to avoid a cold stretch with Kevin Durant sidelined. Brooklyn is tied for second place in the Eastern Conference as they kick off a five-game road trip in San Antonio Tuesday.
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