Inside The Nets

Nets' Claxton Nails Two 3-Pointers, Tallies 19 Points in Loss to Mavericks

Brooklyn's big man showed off his shooting ability last night.

Kyler Fox

Mar 24, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) looks on during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Mar 24, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) looks on during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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Prior to last night's 120-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton had hit just four 3-pointers in his entire career.

Despite the massive difference in score, Claxton turned in one of his best performances of the 2024-25 campaign, rattling in half of his previous career-total from beyond the arc. He'd finish as Brooklyn's leading scorer, tallying 19 points and seven rebounds while shooting a perfect 2-of-2 on triple attempts.

In the losing effort, perhaps Claxton was auditioning to play some power forward alongside another big next season. While he hasn't yet shown the improved shooting stroke as his backup, Day'Ron Sharpe, Claxton's form looked pure. With another offseason under player development guru and Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, the 25-year-old could evolve into more of a floor-spacer.

Signed to a four-year, $97 million deal this past summer, Claxton remains the longest-tenured member of Brooklyn's roster. His first year on a new contract has witnessed some regression, but the Nets as a whole haven't been extremely competitive this year. He's adjusting to a new system under Fernandez but will likely look far more comfortable after another full offseason in scheme he's already familiar with.

Already a defensive stalwart, if Claxton can hover around the 15-points, 10-rebounds per game mark in year two of Brooklyn's rebuild, he'll not only have lived up to the large extension the Nets gave him—he'll become a franchise cornerstone going forward.

This is pure speculation, but if Claxton and Sharpe each continue to develop their skills around the perimeter, Fernandez could even opt to play both at the same time. Sharpe—standing at 6-foot-9, 265 pounds—possesses a frame that aligns more with a prototypical power forward than a standalone center.

Brooklyn currently holds the sixth-best odds at landing the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Creating rotations which help Fernandez to get the best out of both Claxton and Sharpe would allow the franchise to address other areas—potentially the backcourt—instead of adding another piece to the center room.

With just 10 games remaining before the postseason begins, Claxton has an opportunity to continue building confidence heading into year two of the overhaul.

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Kyler Fox
KYLER FOX

Kyler is a staff writer for Brooklyn Nets on SI, where he covers all things related to the team. He is also the managing editor of The Torch, St. John's University's independent student-run newspaper.

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