Nic Claxton has surprised everyone on the court over the past few weeks. Suddenly, he’s a two-way dynamo after taking a leap as wide as his wingspan.
But he might have impressed Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn the most recently while sitting in a tub.
Vaughn was ready to depart Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday when he found Claxton and Royce O’Neale in cold tubs. The Nets, fresh off an emotional and draining loss to the 76ers, had a game the next day.
“They’re talking about being prepared to play tomorrow,” Vaughn recounted after the Nets’ loss to the Pistons on Thursday. “That professionalism, that maturity will go a long ways for Nic Claxton. It’s paying off for him.
“The preparation, the dedication to your craft, to show up and be prepared to play every single night — there’s something to it, and he’s getting rewarded for it.”
Claxton has played in 45 of the Nets’ 48 games — tied with O’Neale for the most on the team. He missed two games with a hamstring issue and another for personal reasons.
He has nearly always been available, but has not been as dominant on offense as he has shown recently. In the eight games since Kevin Durant sprained his right MCL, Claxton — who already had been enjoying an excellent season while emerging as a Defensive Player of the Year contender — has reached a new level of impact on offense.
The game Thursday represented the third straight in which the fourth-year center set a new career-high in points. His 24 points Sunday at Golden State beat his previous high of 23. He then largely outplayed Joel Embiid on Wednesday, when he scored 25 points, and proceeded to tally 27 against Detroit.
“It’s just opportunity, confidence,” said Claxton, who is the NBA leader in shooting percentage, hitting 74.3 percent from the field.
The opportunity for more touches has opened, and Claxton — previously just a finisher around the hoop — has starred. He was quick enough to beat Embiid on drives and has shown an array of hook shots around the paint.
Perhaps this side of his game will be minimized when Durant returns, but Claxton is hinting at a new dimension when the Nets are fully healthy.
“I can do this same stuff with KD on the court. Just picking my spots, being assertive, being aggressive,” Claxton said Thursday. “I’m in a good flow right now.”
T.J. Warren, who exited the loss to the Pistons early, is doubtful for the game Saturday against the Knicks with a left shin contusion. Edmond Sumner, who scored 24 points Thursday, is probable with left Achilles soreness. The guard tore his left Achilles in 2021.
Day’Ron Sharpe is questionable with lower back soreness.
Seth Curry, who did not play Thursday due to right knee soreness, was not on the injury report and should make his return.
