Caught in the middle
Nic must fight for time at crowded Nets center position
Where does Nic Claxton fit into the Nets’ plans this season? At the top, says Steve Nash. Common sense says otherwise. Claxton would have gone in the first round of the 2019 draft if teams had the foresight to recognize his defensive capabilities. Instead, he fell to the Nets with the first pick of the second round (No. 31 overall), and evolved into the most versatile defensive big man on their roster.
At least that was the case last season, when the center position was a revolving door.
Out went Jarrett Allen, in went DeAndre Jordan (then out went Jordan), and in came both Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, with Jeff Green also playing minutes as a small-ball five.
After an offseason the Nets spent fortifying both their interior and defensive profile, center is even more crowded. It makes it difficult to determine just how much time Claxton will play in a season with championship expectations.
Jordan, who did not play at all in the playoffs, was traded. But the Nets re-signed both Aldridge (who has been cleared by cardiologists after heart issues last season) and Griffin, added veteran big man Paul Millsap, and spent a late first-round pick on aggressive rebounder Day’Ron Sharpe out of North Carolina.
Yet Claxton is coming off of a breakout season. He averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in just 18 minutes per game. He formed a rhythm with James Harden as a reliable lob finisher, while also settling into his own rhythm as a defensive stopper on switches, where he dared opposing guards to try to score on him.
That’s the player you want on the floor, and Nash agrees that Claxton’s presence is important this season.
“I think Nic is an important part of what we do. He’s a unique profile on our roster, an athletic, active big who can finish around the basket, guard multiple positions,” Nash said. “He’s one of our better defenders, so I see Nic having a prominent role.”
If Claxton is set to play a prominent role, though, why overload on other veterans at his position, veterans who’ll likely expect some sort of playing time given their abilities on the floor?
Aldridge is a seven-time All-Star known as one of the most gifted back-to-the-basket and mid-range scorers at power forward in NBA history. Millsap once was as versatile a defender as Claxton, but at 36 his athletic gifts are in steady decline. He is still a Swiss Army knife in the front court, though, a playmaking big man who can guard a variety of players and score from anywhere on the floor. Factor in his veteran experience on playoff teams, and that’s another guy who sees minutes at the five.
Sharpe doesn’t project to play very many minutes as a rookie, but Griffin became the full-time starter at the five last season. Aldridge started there first before retiring abruptly due to his heart condition.
Not to mention the Nets like to play fast and play small. Rarely did they have two big men on the floor last season, unless one of them was named Kevin Durant.
All the while, Claxton’s talents are too recognizable to ignore.
A change to the Nets’ profile isn’t off the table. If they’re going to play against the Lakers in the NBA Finals — as the entire world is hoping — the Nets are going to need to be able to go big. The Lakers could play Anthony Davis at the five, but he would rather play the four alongside a legitimate big man. They gave him a handful. Jordan defected to Los Angeles shortly after he was traded by the Nets and Dwight Howard also re-signed with the Lakers after winning a ring with them in the 2020 Orlando Bubble.
The Nets now have the roster versatility to match different roster profiles. One game, Durant can start at the four next to a big. The next, he could start at the three, next to Harden, Kyrie Irving and two of the bigs available on the roster.
Nash says Claxton will have a prominent role, but with only 48 minutes to go around, the only prominent roles belong to the Big 3.
“As far as the big men, I think we just looked at it as an opportunity…What’s available?” he said. “What can we add to our team? Will it be tricky at times to find playing time for everyone? Sure. Part of being a championship team is being part of something that’s bigger than yourself. We have guys that understand that they all come here knowing that we’re trying to get across the line, and it’s not about the individual’s minutes or touches.”