Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton has had moments throughout his NBA career where he looked like he could be one of the elite defenders in the frontcourt. It's been a few seasons since Brooklyn has seen Claxton defend at the level that he could be in consideration as one of the best defenders in the league, but one of his coaches still believes in his ability.
"He is more of a a student of the game. And what I mean by that is like when I give him information, he sits there, he analyzes it, thinks about it. And I love the input that he gives back," Nets assistant coach Juwan Howard said of Claxton during a recent episode of "Nets Pod with Sarah Kustok." Howard was one of the people that head coach Jordi Fernandez brought in ahead of last season, presumably because of his experience working with big men.
"When it comes to playing against some of the tougher opponents, I feel like he can be one of the best defenders in our league," Howard said of where he feels Claxton can be at his best. "His goal is Defensive Player of the year because of his athleticism as well as his ability to protect the rim."
Claxton, 26, is having arguably the best season of his career, but it's primarily because of how much impact he's having on both ends of the court. Claxton is averaging 1.3 blocks per game this year, but he's also pouring in 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 59.0% from the field and 60.7% from the free-throw line.
When Claxton was at his height in terms of rim protection (2.5 blocks per game), it was during the 2022-23 season in which Brooklyn went in a different direction as a franchise after trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving prior to the trade deadline. The Nets haven't been considered a contender since that season, but Claxton is still growing as a player and it sounds like one of his coaches still believes that elite defensive impact is still there.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Juwan Howard believes Nic Claxton can be an elite NBA defender