Nic Claxton is coming off his highest scoring game of the season and his best performance since returning from injury.
But in Claxton's case, “back” is the operative word.
Brooklyn's starting center is admittedly battling pain from a back injury he suffered over the summer, but it's an injury that wasn't originally on the Nets' list.
He is gradually starting to feel himself, but it's worth seeing what exactly that means.
“Yes, I'm sure we'll get there. It's going to take time, but we're getting there,” Claxton said as he conditioned himself, playing through discomfort. “It’s a combination of both, getting in shape for your game and getting used to your body and everything you’re feeling, and just getting back into your mode.”
What will Claxton mode look like in the future? How will coach Jordi Fernandes use him and how will he adapt?
Claxton had 16 points and eight rebounds against Indiana on Wednesday, making 7 of 8 shots from the floor and also making a corner 3. His points matched his season high and his eight rebounds were his best since returning from a hip injury on Nov. 29. They lost five of their previous seven games.
That was a fortunate sign after missing camp with an apparent back-related hamstring injury.
Claxton is averaging just 9.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 24.8 minutes, all of which are his lowest numbers since becoming a starter.
He wasn't quite the same rim protector and never looked like he had the explosiveness to go 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 that. He's rolling, he's doing rim running. He's not only blocking shots, he's changing shots, he's getting in the paint. We need his rim protection to make a presence. … His pressure in the pick-and-roll, his aggressiveness on the floor, those are things he's getting better at every day.
“Obviously, we need him on the court. And the more time he plays, the more comfortable he'll get and the better he'll get.”
The Nets reworked their offense under Fernandez, focusing on taking more threes and focusing on dribble handoff efficiency.
Claxton has been asked to touch the ball more and be a creator, and he's doing just that.
However, whether you look at blocks per 36 games (3.0 → 2.5 → 1.8) or block rate (7.1 → 6.2 → 5.0), Claxton's defensive numbers have improved from the 2022-23 season to last year and this season. is also declining again.
And on offense, he and point guard Dennis Schroder are completely out of sync in the pick-and-roll.
“No, we need to get better at that. It's not where it should be,” Schroeder admitted. “Obviously, he's out of the rotation with an injury, but we continue to talk every day and are on the same page. But it certainly needs to improve.
“I think [we’re] Not on the same page. …We have to find a way to get on the same page every time we interview. I think it's just communication. ”
Communicate and allow Claxton to exit the screen.
“A lot of times the guards will go under the screen, so my job is to get them over the guard and get under the screen to get a piece of the screen,” Claxton said. “I roll pretty well, but I just make sure I’m actually screening because if I don’t, it ruins my play.”
Claxton is just entering his prime at age 25 and begins a four-year, $97 million contract that will drop him to just 11.5 percent of the cap in 2027-2028.
He should play a key role in Brooklyn's rebuild, but what must he do to manage the backs going forward?
“Just trying to get as strong as I can, maintain it, take care of my body as much as I can and keep it in the best shape I can,” Claxton said. “You're locking in your core, your glutes, all those things.”
