Getty Brooklyn's Nic Claxton (#33) and Alize Johnson (#24) run downcourt during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center on April 16, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Brooklyn Nets 22-year-old center Nicolas Claxton at one point this season found himself out of the Nets rotation. But due to his continued development, this year he has become an integral part of Brooklyn’s roster as the number of injuries continues to pile up for the Nets. This year Claxton is averaging 9.1 points per game and shooting 63.9% from the field.
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Raptors Have Interest in Nicolas Claxton
With Claxton’s recent stretch of games, he has turned heads as the NBA’s trade deadline draws nearer. According to Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype, the Toronto Raptors have their eyes on Claxton as they gear up for a playoff push in the Eastern Conference.
“The Raptors have searched for a center on the market and expressed interest in trading for several centers, including Jakob Poeltl, Myles Turner, Robert Williams, Nicolas Claxton, and Jusuf Nurkic,” Scotto writes per HoopsHype.“Toronto has all its first-round picks looking ahead, which can be dangled as trade bait for a potential starting-caliber center.”
Claxton Sounds off on His Growing Confidence
With Kyrie Irving missing the first 35 games of the season after refusing to get the COVID vaccine, in addition to injuries to key players such as Joe Harris and Kevin Durant, several of the Nets reserves have been asked to step up. Claxton has had no problem answering the call. The former Georgia Bulldog says his recent stretch of play is largely due in part to his confidence growing.
“It’s definitely good in growing confidence, The coaching staff trusting me to finish big games and my teammates trusting me to go out and make plays. James having that trust to even throw that pass like that says a lot about the way he feels about me,” Claxton said to Brian Lewis of the “New York Post” after his Clutch basket sealed a win for the Nets over the Lakers on Christmas Day.
“I went out and made it happen, so my confidence is definitely growing. I’m looking forward to just continuing to do what I’m doing and the sky’s the limit.”
James Harden Has High Praise for Claxton
Nets star James Harden also notices the trajectory of Claxton’s play trending upward. Harden believes that as long as Claxton remains confident in himself, the sky is the limit.
“His confidence is growing. This is his first year where he’s like knowing himself, knowing what we expect out of him and what he has to do on a night-in and night-out basis,” said Harden on Claxton’s recent play per NetsDaily.
“I tell him every single day; anyone can have one good game. Anyone can have two good games. What separates you is when you do it on a night-in and night-out basis. Consistency, especially for a young guy. Once you can build that and great habits, then you got something special. That’s something he’s learning but it’s my job to make sure he has that mindset every single game. He’s going to be a key part of where we want to go.”
With the Nets injury list continuing to pile up, Claxton will only get more opportunities to prove his potential. It will be interesting to see if the Nets move him for an asset before the deadline.
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