Nic Claxton

Two games into 2024-25, it was too early to tell if something special hung in the air at Barclays Center, as the Brooklyn Nets hoped to turn a home opener into its first win. Among the list of things it wasn’t too early for: Nic Claxton, soaring through the skies, sending shots in the opposite direction. Solidified in his status as a top-of-the-league shot blocker after finishing at No. 8 and No. 2 in total blocks over the prior two years, Claxton shades over as a help defender, knowing Bobby Portis’ tendencies. Skyscraper-like by the time he leaps, Claxton sends the hook shot attempt in the opposite direction, preserving the Nets’ slight second quarter lead. Such energy became paramount in securing an upset win over the Milwaukee Bucks, with Claxton needing all of 22 minutes to record a 10-point, 11-rebound, two-block demonstration on near-perfect efficiency.