Nothin' But Nets
Fansided

Nicolas Claxton finally nearing return to Nets after cryptic IG stories

By Adam Weinrib

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dribbles as Nicolas Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets defends during the first half of Game Five of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Barclays Center on June 01, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dribbles as Nicolas Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets defends during the first half of Game Five of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Barclays Center on June 01, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Brooklyn Nets have been without the services of developing big man Nicolas Claxton for quite a while, but the road to recovery seems to finally be reaching its end.

And just in time, too, considering Claxton appeared to be getting somewhat frustrated with the hand he’s been dealt over this past week.

Claxton, who made a name for himself in 2020-21 as the Nets’ most promising young option to clean the glass, played the first four games of this season and improved in every contest, culminating in his first “breakout” against the Washington Wizards. In that game, he posted a remarkable +21 mark in just 16 minutes of play, a game Brooklyn ultimately captured by 14.

Then, just like that, he was gone.

Felled by a “non-COVID illness,” according to the team, Claxton ended up banished to rehabilitation in a situation so mysterious he ended up (unwittingly) as the center of some obnoxious right-wing talking points about whether the team was being honest (barf).

Luckily, those should be petering out, because Claxton has returned to the team, ready to ramp up his minutes in the coming days (per Steve Nash’s protocol). Don’t expect him to get run right away — and certainly not in the Orlando game — but the cavalry is coming.

Brooklyn Nets big man Nicolas Claxton is working his way back.

Now, nobody tell him that the Nets totally figured out this small ball, DeAndre’ Bembry/Bruce Brown thing while he was gone, alright? That might set him off more than his illness already has.

Realistically, Claxton will not be making a massive Knicks’ struggles on the other side of townimpact immediately on a team that’s featured far more options than we expected during this young season. Blake Griffin has shaken off his early-season struggles and returned to form. LaMarcus Aldridge has returned to become the king of the mid-range to an historic degree. And Brown, of course, has completely flipped the lineup on its head, immediately infusing the Nets with his trademark defensive intensity — and magnifying the in the process.

All of this frustration (and absenteeism) led to Claxton posting a message to his Instagram story of numbness and perseverance the other day. On Nov. 7, he made it clear he wasn’t expecting the “tough times” to last…which we hope was a reference to his dark days away from the team and not upcoming frustration with what he perceives his role to be.

Here’s to hoping Brooklyn can find a way to use the promising big man they held onto.

Having a championship core is no reason to stop developing a useful piece who caught a bad break this year.