Brooklyn Nets: Grading their 2019 NBA Draft

The Brooklyn Nets are in the process of building something special. A good NBA Draft would propel them into the NBA’s Elite.

Going into last season, the Brooklyn Nets weren’t exactly expected to make the biggest splash in the 2018-19 season. Coming off of a 28-54 record, the Nets were expected to remain a lottery team for a few more years before making their climb. But the organization didn’t want that. After a 42-40 season and a trip to the playoffs, they were able to prove everyone wrong.

Brooklyn went from a rebuild to a fast ascension to prominence in the NBA. They’re still on the rise, but the moves they made in the draft could help them get to the top a little quicker.

I don’t know what’s wrong with Bol Bol, but in my eyes, the Nets drafted the wrong big man, but what they got isn’t a bad consolation prize.

Nicolas Claxton is a 6-11 big man who is great with his back to the basket or facing at the basket for that matter. He’s more of a classic center in that regard. What separates him from other traditional big men is his outstanding athleticism. Claxton excels at putting the ball on the deck and getting to the hole for a tough finish. Whether it’s through tough contact or a clogged lane, the former Georgia Bulldogs star gets into the lane at will and then gets to work.

Where he really thrives, better than anything else in his game is how often he gets to the free throw line. With six attempts per game, Claxton is great at positioning himself under the basket to draw fouls and get to the stripe.

As for his weaknesses, his free throw shooting isn’t the best sitting at 61 percent during his two years at Georgia. He’s an incredibly streaky shooter from mid-range, but if he gets hot, has shown that he can be one of the best players on the court.

To get prepared for the NBA, Claxton gained a fair amount of weight since coming out of high school. Questions surrounding his physicality and overall size for the position will start to die down as he transitions to NBA dietitians.

Ceiling: Myles Turner

In terms of overall athleticism, post game, and shot blocking, few players in the NBA can do it quite like Myles Turner does. Turner is a face-up/back to the basket hybrid type of player that has raw athletic ability and is a proven shot blocker. Luckily for the Brooklyn Nets, Claxton has the potential to reach that point as well.

Claxton matches up well with all of these traits. In his sophomore year at Georgia, he averaged 2.5 blocks per game while hauling in 8.6 total rebounds. His numbers are similar to that of Turner and that’s a promising sign if you’re the Nets.

The one thing that will truly put Claxton on the same level as a guy like Turner is shooting the three ball with efficiency and consistency. Turner knocks down the three at 38 percent and is now an elite shooting big in the NBA. However, Turner started his NBA career only shooting 21 percent from downtown, so I feel that the same positive trend can happen to Claxton.

Floor: Taj Gibson

This isn’t a bad floor for a guy like Claxton, especially considering he’ll come off the bench in Brooklyn. Like Gibson, he’s an incredibly gritty player that can defend against many different positions and give you 100 percent night in and out. Gibson is a floor general that gets a lot of respect from his teammates through his work ethic on the court.

In the sense that he could become a rebounding and low post scoring spark plug Claxton compares favorably Gibson. He has the ability to give Brooklyn a boost every game when it matters.

As of right now, this is a solid backup to Jarrett Allen. The Brooklyn Nets are known for having a great bench unit. It’s easy to see Claxton meshing well with other role players like Ed Davis and Caris LeVert, making the Brooklyn bench more formidable than it already is.