October 1, 2024 • 10 mins
Nic Claxton enters his sixth season with the Brooklyn Nets fresh off a brand new contract that will keep him in Brooklyn long-term. Chris, alongside Tim "Capper" Capstraw and NetsDaily Lucas Kaplan, break down how Claxton's game has evolved and where it can go next.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, what's going on. It's Chris Carino. This is the
voice of the Nets, getting you set for training camp
which is coming up shortly, and we're going through some
of the holdovers, the guys who were here from a
year ago, and certainly this episode is containing the one
of the major pieces. It's always a success story when
(00:33):
one of your guys gets paid. You may think of
it differently and may say, well, organizations don't want to
open their checkbook for guys. But when you draft a
player with the thirty first pick overall and you then
a few years down the line give him one hundred
million dollars, that is a success story for your organization.
(00:58):
And that's what's happened to Nick Claxton. He was the
thirty first pack in the twenty nineteen draft. That's a project,
and when your project becomes one of your center pieces,
that means you have done something correctly. The Nets have
always been very good at drafting late in the first round,
early second round. It's one of the reasons that Sean
(01:21):
Marks was able to get out of the hole he
was in that he inherited after the Pierce Garnet trade
right to relive all that his ability to find guys
late in the first round, early second round. There's no
better example than that than Nick Claxton. Nick Claxton maybe
isn't a complete player. He's still an improving player. He's
(01:46):
still a player with a lot of room for growth.
It's probably the reason why he didn't get thirty five
million dollars a year. So Capper, when we think of
Nick Claxton, what has been the biggest area of growth
you think in the last few years that has now
(02:08):
made him a cornerstone piece of this NET team.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Well, first of all, I just think he was a
brilliant evaluation by the Nets organization to understand the versatility
with which he provides a team. I think he's gotten tougher.
I think he's gotten better around the basket, but he's
had skills that really translate well now to the modern NBA.
(02:34):
He's a five. First of all, he's a switchable five.
Everybody knows that he can get out on the perimeter
and do his job, but offensively, which I think is
a critical component with Clason right now as we look
at him, you can run offense through him. The modern NBA,
you want that five to be able to do things
(02:54):
and he can definitely do things. He can handle the ball,
he can pass the ball, he can initiate off for
you listen, he's improved in every area because he's gotten opportunities.
He's still got to get stronger, he's still got to
be able to finish better. He's still got to make
free throws at a consistently higher rate. But he has
a great evaluation of the skill and also knowing where
(03:18):
the NBA was going, you have to understand this league
is continuously changing and evolving. The five position continues to evolve.
That's why I'm really curious to see how Jordi Fernandez
incorporates Claxon because he's got a lot of bonus in
his game, and if you think about how the Kings played,
Claxton can mimic a lot of those things.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
If Nick Clackson can get to Demanta Sabonis territory, he's
going to be one of the most underpaid players in
the NBA.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I don't I just mean like, as far as running
offense into the modern five out system, you're five being
able to do things, it's critical and that it makes
it makes the offensive flow really really effective.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And I think you know Lucas. I think when you look,
everybody knows Claxton made his reputation on defense, I mean
his ability to guard one through five, But it's also
become a bone of contention over the years, where you know,
should they be playing in a drop cover, should they
be playing in a switching defense? What does it do
to their rebounding numbers? When you go behind the numbers
(04:22):
on Nick Claxton, what are some of the things that
stand out to you and what's made him such an
you know, such a great story for this net team.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Yeah, the story is is great and I love how
you let off with that context. Anytime a second round
pick or a low first round pick gets a second contract,
much less one that shows he is indeed a centerpiece
to a team, it is a success story for him
and for the development staff. I mean, he came into
(04:54):
the league with really elite movement skills. It was just
guys that big dome move like that, but not a
lot of you know, immediate avenues to production. Okay, he
can move, but what does he actually do well at
the moment? And you know, in the last five years,
he's probably a good drop defender, an elite probably the
(05:17):
elite switch big in the NBA, and when you talk
about defense, you know, it's the consistently great drop coverage
guys that provide a lot of value over an eighty
two game regular season. But the elite switching in all
of the things he can do, you know, make him
the best defender on the court in the league for games, quarters,
(05:38):
stretches at a time. I mean, I think we all
remember sometime last winter. You know, he played Jaron Jackson,
he played Shit Holmgren, he played Bam out of Bio
in like a week two week stretch, and he was,
if not dominating those matchups, looking them eye to eye.
You know, the BAM one always sticks out to me
as those guys go at each other. But Claxton has
(06:00):
these moments with his talents where he is, you know,
matching up with any center in the league.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
I think the BAM matchup is interesting because I think
that's a comp for who you want Nick Claxton to
maybe emulate become who he can kind of is in
that conversation with not as maybe big and powerful as Bam.
Bam has a more polished offensive game, but that's kind
of where you want Claxton to go right. I Mean
(06:31):
the thing about Nick is is you talked about a
kaper his ability. We said, at some point he must
have been a guard. He had a growth spread high school.
He's got good ball handling skills. Yeah, so he can
handle the ball in that high post. He can get
it to the rim. Underrated role man, that kind of thing.
At any point, though, is he going to have to
start to make some shots? I mean, I know that
(06:52):
would put him at another level. Does he need to
go there to be a more imp actual player? You
would like him to be there?
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Does he?
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Does he need to be there?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I think it would be a bonus almost because if
you remember two seasons ago, he led the league in
field goal percentage and he was taking some you know,
two dribble hook shots, you know, spin in the lane.
It wasn't exclusively run or set a screen, run, jump,
catch a lob. So I think if he's it would
(07:27):
be a bonus. The pre throw shooting is more of
a necessity, but he almost doesn't have to I think
become like a Bam type of mid range quarter three
point operator to return you know, positive offensive value. I
wonder what Kapper thinks about that.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I yeah, I don't know if he's going to be
that kind of guy. I think when me and Chris
started out, we would watch brook Lopez sheet fifteen foot
shots and say to ourselves, boy, eventually he's going to
be a terrific shooter. When we watch Noah Clowney shoot
the ball, you can tell he's going to be a
very good shooter.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Nick.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I don't know if that's ever gonna be what he does,
and it may could you know, could limit uh maybe
maybe you know, maybe that's this is what he is,
and and you play with that. What that What happens
then is you get yourself in situations where you can't
have him on the floor with another non shooter. I
(08:24):
mean that that that big, then the lane is two clogged,
so that becomes an issue. But I think he's always
gonna I think he's right now he's a very good player.
I think that would make him if he develops a
three point shot with everything else he's doing, then he
will be one of the elite bigs in the NBA.
He's already very good. You know.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
The other thing about Nick, I think he's stepping into
a role right now this year that's a little different
from where he's been in his career. You know, he
came into the league, he was a young player, he
was trying to adjust, he was he had a lot
of veterans that he would with the superstars. You know.
Now he's a cornerstone. He's going to be, especially if
(09:06):
they start trading some of the veterans during the course
of the year. You're gonna also get a good chance
this year, I think to see it. Can Nick Claxton
be that leader, you know he step Can he step
into that role and be one of the leaders of
this team. I think that's something I'm curious to watch
about Nick Claxton this year.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
And he's got games under his belt, and you know,
you want leadership from your better players or your best
players on the floor. You gotta have that. And I
think it's a good opportunity for Claxton to show he's
capable and then maturing, you know, the maturing of a
young player. He is a guy, he's gotten a big contract. Now,
he's got a lot of games under his belt. It's
(09:44):
time for him to you know, add something on that end. Also.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
All right, well, Nick Claxton, he will be a key
to the net success moving forward. Rewarded this year with
a huge contract, which is something that was obviously rewarding
for a team that took him with the thirty first
overall pick. And they're the ones who reaped the rewards
and will make Nick Claxton is this, you know his
NET team is you're looking at a rebuild, You're looking
(10:13):
at a retooling. And when you want that, you love
to have a twenty five year old big who can
do the things that Nick Claxton can do, especially on
the defensive end. So that's a little deep dive and
Nick Claxton will talk with him, I'm sure throughout the
course of training camp and have more here. On the
Voice of the Nets podcast, Lucas Kaplan covers the Nets
(10:34):
for NETS daily as well as the digital team with
the Nets. Look forward to seeing a lot of the
stuff that he's doing out there, and of course the
cap or Tim Capstraw my radio partner. Beginning our twenty
third season this year on WFA and I'm Chris Carino.
This has been the Voice of the Nets
Hey, what's going on. It's Chris Carino. This is the
voice of the Nets, getting you set for training camp
which is coming up shortly, and we're going through some
of the holdovers, the guys who were here from a
year ago, and certainly this episode is containing the one
of the major pieces. It's always a success story when
(00:33):
one of your guys gets paid. You may think of
it differently and may say, well, organizations don't want to
open their checkbook for guys. But when you draft a
player with the thirty first pick overall and you then
a few years down the line give him one hundred
million dollars, that is a success story for your organization.
(00:58):
And that's what's happened to Nick Claxton. He was the
thirty first pack in the twenty nineteen draft. That's a project,
and when your project becomes one of your center pieces,
that means you have done something correctly. The Nets have
always been very good at drafting late in the first round,
early second round. It's one of the reasons that Sean
(01:21):
Marks was able to get out of the hole he
was in that he inherited after the Pierce Garnet trade
right to relive all that his ability to find guys
late in the first round, early second round. There's no
better example than that than Nick Claxton. Nick Claxton maybe
isn't a complete player. He's still an improving player. He's
(01:46):
still a player with a lot of room for growth.
It's probably the reason why he didn't get thirty five
million dollars a year. So Capper, when we think of
Nick Claxton, what has been the biggest area of growth
you think in the last few years that has now
(02:08):
made him a cornerstone piece of this NET team.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Well, first of all, I just think he was a
brilliant evaluation by the Nets organization to understand the versatility
with which he provides a team. I think he's gotten tougher.
I think he's gotten better around the basket, but he's
had skills that really translate well now to the modern NBA.
(02:34):
He's a five. First of all, he's a switchable five.
Everybody knows that he can get out on the perimeter
and do his job, but offensively, which I think is
a critical component with Clason right now as we look
at him, you can run offense through him. The modern NBA,
you want that five to be able to do things
(02:54):
and he can definitely do things. He can handle the ball,
he can pass the ball, he can initiate off for
you listen, he's improved in every area because he's gotten opportunities.
He's still got to get stronger, he's still got to
be able to finish better. He's still got to make
free throws at a consistently higher rate. But he has
a great evaluation of the skill and also knowing where
(03:18):
the NBA was going, you have to understand this league
is continuously changing and evolving. The five position continues to evolve.
That's why I'm really curious to see how Jordi Fernandez
incorporates Claxon because he's got a lot of bonus in
his game, and if you think about how the Kings played,
Claxton can mimic a lot of those things.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
If Nick Clackson can get to Demanta Sabonis territory, he's
going to be one of the most underpaid players in
the NBA.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I don't I just mean like, as far as running
offense into the modern five out system, you're five being
able to do things, it's critical and that it makes
it makes the offensive flow really really effective.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And I think you know Lucas. I think when you look,
everybody knows Claxton made his reputation on defense, I mean
his ability to guard one through five, But it's also
become a bone of contention over the years, where you know,
should they be playing in a drop cover, should they
be playing in a switching defense? What does it do
to their rebounding numbers? When you go behind the numbers
(04:22):
on Nick Claxton, what are some of the things that
stand out to you and what's made him such an
you know, such a great story for this net team.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Yeah, the story is is great and I love how
you let off with that context. Anytime a second round
pick or a low first round pick gets a second contract,
much less one that shows he is indeed a centerpiece
to a team, it is a success story for him
and for the development staff. I mean, he came into
(04:54):
the league with really elite movement skills. It was just
guys that big dome move like that, but not a
lot of you know, immediate avenues to production. Okay, he
can move, but what does he actually do well at
the moment? And you know, in the last five years,
he's probably a good drop defender, an elite probably the
(05:17):
elite switch big in the NBA, and when you talk
about defense, you know, it's the consistently great drop coverage
guys that provide a lot of value over an eighty
two game regular season. But the elite switching in all
of the things he can do, you know, make him
the best defender on the court in the league for games, quarters,
(05:38):
stretches at a time. I mean, I think we all
remember sometime last winter. You know, he played Jaron Jackson,
he played Shit Holmgren, he played Bam out of Bio
in like a week two week stretch, and he was,
if not dominating those matchups, looking them eye to eye.
You know, the BAM one always sticks out to me
as those guys go at each other. But Claxton has
(06:00):
these moments with his talents where he is, you know,
matching up with any center in the league.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
I think the BAM matchup is interesting because I think
that's a comp for who you want Nick Claxton to
maybe emulate become who he can kind of is in
that conversation with not as maybe big and powerful as Bam.
Bam has a more polished offensive game, but that's kind
of where you want Claxton to go right. I Mean
(06:31):
the thing about Nick is is you talked about a
kaper his ability. We said, at some point he must
have been a guard. He had a growth spread high school.
He's got good ball handling skills. Yeah, so he can
handle the ball in that high post. He can get
it to the rim. Underrated role man, that kind of thing.
At any point, though, is he going to have to
start to make some shots? I mean, I know that
(06:52):
would put him at another level. Does he need to
go there to be a more imp actual player? You
would like him to be there?
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Does he?
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Does he need to be there?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I think it would be a bonus almost because if
you remember two seasons ago, he led the league in
field goal percentage and he was taking some you know,
two dribble hook shots, you know, spin in the lane.
It wasn't exclusively run or set a screen, run, jump,
catch a lob. So I think if he's it would
(07:27):
be a bonus. The pre throw shooting is more of
a necessity, but he almost doesn't have to I think
become like a Bam type of mid range quarter three
point operator to return you know, positive offensive value. I
wonder what Kapper thinks about that.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I yeah, I don't know if he's going to be
that kind of guy. I think when me and Chris
started out, we would watch brook Lopez sheet fifteen foot
shots and say to ourselves, boy, eventually he's going to
be a terrific shooter. When we watch Noah Clowney shoot
the ball, you can tell he's going to be a
very good shooter.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Nick.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I don't know if that's ever gonna be what he does,
and it may could you know, could limit uh maybe
maybe you know, maybe that's this is what he is,
and and you play with that. What that What happens
then is you get yourself in situations where you can't
have him on the floor with another non shooter. I
(08:24):
mean that that that big, then the lane is two clogged,
so that becomes an issue. But I think he's always
gonna I think he's right now he's a very good player.
I think that would make him if he develops a
three point shot with everything else he's doing, then he
will be one of the elite bigs in the NBA.
He's already very good. You know.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
The other thing about Nick, I think he's stepping into
a role right now this year that's a little different
from where he's been in his career. You know, he
came into the league, he was a young player, he
was trying to adjust, he was he had a lot
of veterans that he would with the superstars. You know.
Now he's a cornerstone. He's going to be, especially if
(09:06):
they start trading some of the veterans during the course
of the year. You're gonna also get a good chance
this year, I think to see it. Can Nick Claxton
be that leader, you know he step Can he step
into that role and be one of the leaders of
this team. I think that's something I'm curious to watch
about Nick Claxton this year.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
And he's got games under his belt, and you know,
you want leadership from your better players or your best
players on the floor. You gotta have that. And I
think it's a good opportunity for Claxton to show he's
capable and then maturing, you know, the maturing of a
young player. He is a guy, he's gotten a big contract. Now,
he's got a lot of games under his belt. It's
(09:44):
time for him to you know, add something on that end. Also.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
All right, well, Nick Claxton, he will be a key
to the net success moving forward. Rewarded this year with
a huge contract, which is something that was obviously rewarding
for a team that took him with the thirty first
overall pick. And they're the ones who reaped the rewards
and will make Nick Claxton is this, you know his
NET team is you're looking at a rebuild, You're looking
(10:13):
at a retooling. And when you want that, you love
to have a twenty five year old big who can
do the things that Nick Claxton can do, especially on
the defensive end. So that's a little deep dive and
Nick Claxton will talk with him, I'm sure throughout the
course of training camp and have more here. On the
Voice of the Nets podcast, Lucas Kaplan covers the Nets
(10:34):
for NETS daily as well as the digital team with
the Nets. Look forward to seeing a lot of the
stuff that he's doing out there, and of course the
cap or Tim Capstraw my radio partner. Beginning our twenty
third season this year on WFA and I'm Chris Carino.
This has been the Voice of the Nets
Host
Chris Carrino
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