Nic Claxton is coming off his highest-scoring game of the season, his best performance since coming back from injury.
But with Claxton, “back” is the operative word.
Brooklyn’s starting center is admittedly fighting through pain from a back injury he suffered in the summer — one not initially listed by the Nets.
Though he’s slowly started to feel like himself, it bears watching to see exactly what that even means.
“Yeah, I’m getting there, for sure. It’s taking a while, but I’m getting there,” said Claxton, playing through discomfort while he plays himself into condition. “It’s a combination of both, getting into game shape and just getting used to my body and everything that I’m feeling, and just getting back and getting back in my mode.”
What does Claxton mode look like going forward? How does coach Jordi Fernandez use him, and how does he adapt?
Claxton had 16 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday’s win over Indiana, shooting 7 of 8 from the floor and even hitting a corner 3. The scoring matched his season high, and the eight rebounds were his best since returning Nov. 29 after the back injury cost him five of the prior seven games.
It was an auspicious sign after missing camp with what was listed as a hamstring strain clearly related to his back.
Claxton is averaging just 9.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 24.8 minutes, all his lowest since becoming a starter.
He isn’t quite the same rim protector and hasn’t looked as explosive going for lobs.
“We want to see the best version of himself, and I think he’s getting there,” Fernandez said. “We need him to put pressure on the rim, and he’s doing it. He’s rolling, he’s rim-running. We need his rim protection, not just to block shots but to change shots and be a presence in the paint. … His pressure in pick-and-roll, being on the floor being aggressive, these are things he’s getting better at every day.
“Obviously, we need him on the court, and the more minutes he plays, then he’ll get more comfortable, and he’ll be better at it.”
The Nets have remade their offense under Fernandez, taking more 3s and leaning into their efficiency on dribble handoffs.
Claxton is asked to touch the ball more and be a creator, and has done so.
But whether looking at the blocks per-36 numbers (3.0 to 2.5 to 1.8) or the block percentage (7.1 to 6.2 to 5.0), Claxton’s defensive numbers have dipped from 2022-23 to last year and now again this season.
And on offense, he and point guard Dennis Schroder haven’t been in perfect sync on the pick-and-roll.
“No, we’ve got to get better at that. It’s not where it should be,” Schroder admitted. “Of course, he’s been out of the rotation because of injuries, but we keep talking every single day, getting on the same page. But it needs to get better, for sure.
“I think [we’re] not on the same page. … We’ve just got to find a way to get on the same page every single coverage — and I think that’s just communication.”
Communicating, and making sure Claxton finishes his screens.
“A lot of times the guards are going under the screen, so it’s my job to get the guards to go over and get a piece of them,” Claxton said. “I roll pretty good, but just making sure I’m actually screening because it messes up the plays when I don’t.”
Claxton is just entering his prime at 25, and starting a four-year, $97 million contract that descends to just 11.5 percent of the cap by 2027-28.
He should be a major piece of Brooklyn’s rebuild, but what does he have to do to manage the back going forward?
“Just as much strengthening as I can, just staying on top of all of that maintenance, just taking care of my body as much as I can just to have myself in the best shape as possible as I can be,” Claxton said. “Core, glutes, all that type of stuff, locking in on that.”