Claxton motivated by defensive award snubs
When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving left Brooklyn, Nic Claxton didn’t just lose two star teammates, he lost a shot at a Defensive Player of the Year award. And he still feels some kind of way about it.
“I went from being top three in the Defensive Player of the Year to an end of the season, nothing at all. KD and Kyrie, when they left, it’s like my name just fell off the map. It makes my blood boil,” Claxton laughed. “I was robbed of [an All-] Defensive team, not even saying Defensive Player of the Year.
“It definitely is motivating. It’s an even bigger chip on my shoulder, and I’m ready to be there for my team to prove to everybody, proving myself who I am as a defender and as a player in this league.”
On Feb. 2, Claxton had the second-best betting odds (+375) to win Defensive Player of the Year, behind only Jaren Jackson Jr. But Irving was traded four days later, Durant three days after that, and despite Claxton finishing with the second-most Defensive Win Shares in the field, he ended up ninth in the voting.
Now the 24-year-old center comes into this season with not only similarly high goals, but — since he can’t be extended by the Nets — guaranteed of hitting unrestricted free agency next summer.
“He’s just got to do his job. He’s going to get $100 million just from doing his job. He’s in a situation where even if he sh--s the bed, he’s still going to get like $70 million-$80 million. The only way he really f---s up his contract is if he tries to do too much,” said Spencer Dinwiddie, who worked out with Claxton in Los Angeles.
“Y’all all need to write this: Spencer Didwiddie said ‘Nic Claxton is the best defender in the league and he got snubbed for DPOY.’ ”
➤ Mikal Bridges admitted while his scoring spiked last season, his defense took a hit.
“I definitely wasn’t playing how I wanted to play on the other end defensively when I got here,” Bridges said. “I definitely was lacking; little things, like back cut and stuff like that, which is very unacceptable . ... But definitely didn’t feel how I wanted to, so just having that personally coming into this year, just getting back on track.”
➤ Dorian FinneySmith, who shot just 30.6 percent from 3-point range for the Nets last year, is coming off right pinkie surgery. After hitting 39.4 percent and 39.5 the prior two seasons in Dallas, the Nets are hoping his numbers will revert to the norm.
“I make no excuses. The shooting will get better because I’ve been putting in the work. Last year, I didn’t finish the season I wanted to, but it is what it is,” Finney-Smith said. “The pinkie feels good. I can clap.”
➤ Rookie Dariq Whitehead hasn’t been doing five-on-five or contact, and was noncommittal about when he’ll be ready to practice fully: “I don’t have to finally secondguess if my foot is going to be good or not for the season, knowing it’s finally at that point where I don’t have to worry about and I can just go out there and play.”