As if Nic Claxton did’t have enough responsibilities already...
The fourth-year center is second in the league in blocks, whether you measure them by his per-game average of 2.5 or his season total of 176. Either way, he’s rejecting a ton of attempts in his campaign for some All-Defense, or perhaps Most Improved Player recognition.
This level of intimidation at the rim comes after Claxton has already established himself as the NBA’s premiere switch-big; calculator nerds and hoop purists alike can appreciate both the functional and aesthetic value of watching a gangly almost-seven-footer slide his feet, turn his hips, and leave explosive perimeter talents disheveled 20 feet from the basket.