Nic Claxton vying to seal All-Defensive Team, DPOY honors this season with Brooklyn

After failing to enter last season’s list, Nic Claxton eyes defensive glory this 2023-24 for the Nets.

© Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Nic Claxton has his eyes on the prize of the 2023-24 season with the Brooklyn Nets.

Besides securing a productive year with the franchise, Claxton has maintained his laser-focused commitment to bag individual defensive honors he's been coveting as one of the NBA's emerging big men.

"All-Defensive Team or Defensive Player of the Year along those lines and improving in every category," he told HoopsHype's Mike Scotto about his goals this season. "I'm trying to be a better basketball player. Reading the game better, being a better teammate, calling out plays, and being more vocal."

A defensive force

With the clear numbers he's registering and the amount of effort he flashes for Brooklyn, Nic truly deserves recognition and a place in the league's defensive honors debate.

For 16 games of play, Clax has maintained that reputation as one of the most terrifying rim protectors with 2.3 blocks — the fifth highest in the Association.

He also emerged as primarily responsible for the opponents' low field goals made averages (6.2) in the paint out of 16.1 attempts when Brooklyn stands as their opponent. Through these paint numbers is an inefficient 38.7 percent shooting rate, ranked as the lowest league-wide.

Now that is a Nic Claxton defensive possession: pic.twitter.com/gOfk4oSs8y

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) December 14, 2023

Brooklyn might have yet to unlock their collective defensive potential this year, but it will always start and revolve around Claxton, who sits as their primary foundation and anchor in holding down the line.

A work in progress

Claxton made headlines last September media day in which he stated that he felt he was robbed of an All-Defensive Team spot from last season. For context, he managed to compile impressive defense numbers from 2022-23, which feature his 2.5 block averages upon suiting up for 76 games, but he still questionably failed to enter the two defensive selections as a center.

As he seeks to create more attention about his defensive stand this season, Claxton still fully acknowledges the work he still needs to fulfill, considering that the Nets are at No. 20 in defensive rating (116.3) this season.

"It's been an adjustment for me defensively with us being in a drop and not guarding one through five, but it's been a good challenge. I think as far as my case for a Defensive Player of the Year, I know that our team metrics need to be better for me to be in that discussion. That's a big focus for the group right now. We have a lot of really good individual defenders, so we should definitely be in that Top 10 range defensively."

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