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www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/ne... Nic Claxton has walked the walk and now, he’s talking the talk. Claxton has been one of the Nets’ most versatile big man options since they drafted him 31st overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. That versatility has been most apparent in his ability to defend point guards and shooting guards after switching in pick-and-roll situations. He did it several times in the Nets’ 107-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the preseason finale Thursday, rotating to either block a jump shot or heavily contest to force a miss. It’s Claxton’s new calling card, a facet of his game he hung his hat on last season that has built his confidence. “I take a lot of pride in that and feel like I’m one of the best defenders in the league,” Claxton said Thursday. Claxton said his ability to switch and guard scorers of all sizes stems from training with Kevin Durant during Durant’s Achilles rehab. “And it’s something that I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with being able to do,” he said. “[Defending] guards is something I did in college.” ... Against the Timberwolves, Claxton was a rim protector, a lob pass finisher, a rebounder and a switcher, finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds, including three of his first four boards on the offensive glass. “We need that from him, especially playing with [James Harden], who is looking up trying to make those passes,” Durant said. “We are going to need that from him every night and we expect that out of him. This is his third year in the league, another level he wants to step up into and we are expecting that from him.”
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Clax was a beast last night against the Wizards. No shock he had the best +/- . He simply dominated on the boards and blocking.
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