{"id":53408,"date":"2023-09-04T12:00:28","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T16:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=53408"},"modified":"2023-09-04T11:33:45","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T15:33:45","slug":"top-25-nba-players-under-25-no-18-nic-claxton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/09\/04\/top-25-nba-players-under-25-no-18-nic-claxton\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 25 NBA Players Under 25: No. 18 – Nic Claxton"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nic Claxton<\/span><\/strong><\/a> is a defensive star who should’ve been awarded an All-Defensive Team selection last season. Given his talent and age, he’ll likely be in the conversation for many years<\/a>. He’s a large part of why the Brooklyn Nets are retooling rather than rebuilding. Many franchises would start from scratch following the departures of superstars Kevin Durant<\/a><\/strong>, Kyrie Irving<\/a><\/strong>, and James Harden<\/a><\/strong>. The Nets don’t own many of their picks, which undoubtedly played a role in their decision to remain competitive as a team. However, center Nic Claxton is also a significant reason behind that decision. As a No. 31 overall pick, he’s been a delightful surprise for the Nets, who have found their foundational center.<\/span><\/p>\n

Top 25 NBA Players Under 25: No. 18 – Nic Claxton<\/h2>\n

Background<\/h3>\n

Claxton was an excellent value for the Brooklyn Nets, who picked the Georgia center No. 31 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Claxton took a significant leap last season, which was his fourth NBA season. His minutes increased from 20.7 to 29.9, and his statistics increased across all categories. Claxton averaged a career-best 12.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 0.9 steals. He did this all on an extremely efficient 71\/0\/54 shooting splits.<\/p>\n

A lot of discussion surrounded the 24-year-old Claxton not making an All-Defensive Team appearance last season despite his elite defensive stats. The 6-foot-11, 215-pound center is already one of the league’s best defenders – he uses his length and agility to be an exceptional modern-day NBA center that can guard multiple positions. Claxton is an elite rim-protector, as evidenced by his 2.5 blocks per game, but his defensive versatility separates his game from the other NBA centers.<\/p>\n

He is agile enough to switch in pick-and-roll situations and guard out onto the perimeter when needed. His mobility is an extremely coveted skill set in today’s NBA. Claxton defended the most isolation possessions<\/a> in the NBA last season and was highly impactful, surrendering just 0.79 points per possession in those situations.<\/p>\n