Nic Claxton shows Nets new look to go with improved work ethic
Nets forward Nic Claxton during practice at the HSS Training Center in Brooklyn on Sept. 28. Credit: Noah K. Murray
Not only did Nic Claxton gain close to 10 pounds of muscle this offseason, he lost a pound or two of hair.
The Nets center pulled what he hopes is a reverse Samson this summer, shoring his trademark dreadlocks in favor of a close-cropped style that he hasn't sported since he was starting in high school.
“I just needed a fresh start,” Claxton said after practice Wednesday. “I had dyed it blond and messed it up. I wanted to have a fresh look.”
The new look will see plenty of floor time in Claxton’s new role. After playing his first years in the league alongside a long list of one-time All-Star big men, Claxton, 23, now finds himself the likely starter in the middle of a team with championship aspirations.
The 6-11 Claxton started in Monday’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center and played 14 minutes while scoring 12 points. Nets coach Steve Nash said that Claxton has put in the extra work this summer to take his career to the next level.
“His professionalism has taken a step,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “His attention to detail, his consistency and I think you see the benefits. It feels like he can play longer stretches of high intensity, he’s a little stronger on the physical and traffic. We just want to keep growing his kind of understanding of the game and situational awareness.”
A lot of Claxton’s extra work has come at the free-throw line. Claxton, Nets fans remember all too well, missed 10 straight free throws in Game 4 of the Nets first-round playoff loss to the Boston Celtics. He finished that game by going 1-for-11, but his 10 consecutive misses to start the game set an NBA playoff record.
In the past, Claxton hasn’t had much time to work on his shooting. Before the 2020 season, Claxton had surgery on his left shoulder. Claxton has said before that the operation affected his shooting. Last season, he said he went through five or six different free motions, which he has finally decreased to one this season. He did not attempt a free throw in the first preseason game.
it's important that Claxton gets himself right from the free-throw line since he is playing alongside Ben Simmons, another poor free-throw shooter. Simmons also has been doing extra work at the line and Nash said he wants both to be able to be aggressive on the floor.
“We have the talent, we have the shooters, and just me personally just trying to make myself a threat as much as I can out there on the court,” Claxton said. “Starting the break and just doing what I do and continuing to build.”
Notes & quotes: Irving and his fiance welcomed a new baby on Tuesday, and he was not at practice. It has not been determined whether he will be at Thursday’s preseason game against the Heat.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
