Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton, who signed a four-year, $100MM extension last offseason, has faced a challenging start to the season.
After dealing with a back injury, Claxton fluctuated between the starting unit and bench in the first 14 games, averaging just 8.5 points per game.
His struggles have led some, including Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily, to question whether it’s time to be concerned about his performance.
Despite the early struggles, head coach Jordi Fernandez remains confident in the big man’s potential.
“I think in professional sports, especially in this league, a lot of these guys play with bumps and bruises,” Fernandez explained. “What we need them is to believe that they’re good to go.
“And if we feel like a guy is not confident, we’re gonna let them make the decisions, I think that’s fair. If you play and you are afraid to get hurt, guess what? You’re going to get hurt. So we don’t want that for Nic or anybody in our group.”
While Claxton’s numbers have been the lowest since he became a starter, there is hope that with time and confidence, he will return to form.
Kaplan notes that Claxton has not played with the same level of explosiveness as in previous seasons, which is likely a result of his lingering back issue.
New York Notes: Achiuwa, Brunson, McBride, Thomas, Claxton https://t.co/GhXp9or8j3 pic.twitter.com/QztXmUJcCA
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) December 6, 2024
