The Brooklyn Nets found themselves in a dire spot late in the game against the Phoenix Suns. Down three with 6.6 seconds remained, Nic Claxton was sent to the free-throw line. The Kyrie Irving-led team decided that their best shot at winning was for Claxton to intentionally miss the free-throw shot and try to rebound the ball. Unfortunately, it didn't go their way.
The play drawn up was for the center to miss the free-throw and hit it in such a way that a Nets player could grab the rebound. What happened, though, was that the free-throw ended up missing the rim completely, resulting in a turnover. This horrible missed intentional miss from Nic Claxton resulted in one of the most savage disses of the year, courtesy of Reggie Miller.
"Shoot regular because you're gonna miss anyways."
Reggie Miller on this Nic Claxton intentional FT miss 💀 pic.twitter.com/AFLLQ5YKls
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 20, 2023
For context, Nic Claxton is currently shooting 46.8% from the free-throw stripe this season. Those numbers are seen from only the worst shooters in league history. Think Shaquille O'Neal, or Ben Wallace.
The Nets aren't banking on Nic Claxton to be a consistent force on offense. The center is putting up a DPOY-worthy season this year, posting career-highs in blocks and anchoring this Brooklyn defense. His ability to protect the rim is a huge reason why his team has been this good this season.
Still, the Nets would like it better if Claxton could avoid clanging his free-throws. We've seen teams play Ben Simmons (who, ironically, is also with Brooklyn and was ejected earlier this game) and other bad free throw shooters off the court by intentionally fouling them. If he doesn't fix his shooting woes, he will be a liability for the Nets come playoff time.
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