Nic Claxton affirms it: he is a declared candidate for the Hakeem Olajuwon trophy rewarding the best defender of the year. An assertion certainly not completely impertinent, but all the same daring, of which it will now be necessary to defend the credibility on the parquet floors.
“I spoke, I assume”. This phrase from an illustrious poet from Boulogne-Billancourt addressed to his Sevran rival, Nic Claxton might make it his own for the rest of the 2022-23 financial year. The pivot from Brooklyn (27 starts this season, his fourth in the Great League) has indeed opened his mouth quite wide lately at the microphone of YES Network (although this is a habit among a lot of players) by declaring to be a top candidate to succeed Marcus Smart on the DPOY charts.
Nic Claxton discusses the emotions and excitement he felt following tonight’s win over Toronto. #NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/LFPp7nkTwX
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 17, 2022
“Honestly I feel like I’m one of the best defenders in the League, I feel like I should be top of the DPOY discussion. I feel like I don’t get the respect I deserve. We win, I have good stats (2.3 blocks on average this season, editor’s note)I protect the circle, I can defend the five positions.”
You will have understood it, the young player (23 years old) does not lack insurance. In absolute terms, his remarks are not totally unjustifiable. Indeed, even if KD’s teammates have only the sixteenth defensive rating in the NBA currently with 112.4 points conceded on average on 100 possessions, Nico is doing his best to raise the level, sincewith his defensive rating of 110.3, he has the best among players playing more than 24 minutes per game in the roster led by Jacque Vaughn.
In a Nets team who have the fourth record in the West and the seventh overall, hard to deny his impact on his team on this side of the field. However, individually, he still seems far from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, OG Anunoby, Evan Mobley or Brook Lopez who have the favors of predictions. Even visually, despite his obvious mobility which allows him to hold faster profiles in switch, Claxton does not give off the same impression of defensive dominance as other League monsters in the field. The potential is there then, but at present, aiming for the DPOY still seems a tad ambitious for the former University of Georgia.
Sorry Mister Claxton, being an insider from the Virgin Islands (hello Tim Duncan) will not be sufficient criteria to nab a DPOY. There is talk of a trophy that rewards the boss of the category, and the interior of the Nets still has a little time to reach the top of the mountain.
Source texte : Yes Network
