Nic Claxton Credits Coaches for Nets' Stunning Turnaround

A lot has been going right for the Brooklyn Nets lately, as they've won seven of their 10 games after a dreadful 3-16 start to the season.

Brooklyn's turnaround is in large part due to its suddenly elite defense, as it ranks first in defensive rating (103.5) while allowing the fewest points per game (103.1) in the month of December.

“You’ve got to give a lot of the credit to the coaches. Just us talking, us figuring things out as a group, coaches and players. And then obviously we’re going out there and executing at a high level,” Nic Claxton said. “A lot of defense is just effort, and we’re putting in the effort. We put the time in practice, and our work is showing. And man, it’s fun guarding like this. It’s fun getting stops. I know me personally, I take a lot of pride in defense. We had some slippage, and I was like, “Let’s go. Let’s let’s let’s get back on track.” So, we just got to keep building and see where we can take it.

Things appeared ugly to begin the campaign. Many Nets fans were getting on Egor Demin for his insistence on just shooting 3-pointers. Others thought Michael Porter Jr. was unserious and taking horrendous shots. Some questioned what the future held for Claxton and Cam Thomas. Several got on Nets coach Jordi Fernandez for not giving his rookies enough minutes.

Through it all, the Nets' chemistry has seemingly come to life overnight, and as the old sports cliché goes, winning cures all.

“Everybody played well, everybody contributed to the win," Claxton said. "Starters played well, and the bench was outstanding. You look at the plus minus for what it’s worth, but you also look at the bench points. I know that CT [scoring] 30 in less than 20 minutes is extremely impressive. But all those guys played very well. They were connected. They support each other on the bench. And the defense in the second half, 44 points allowed. It’s it’s very impressive. So keep being about the right things. It’s not always going to be perfect, but proud of the guys, proud of everybody.”

This Nets team may still be a bona fide superstar away from true title contention, but it’s incredibly encouraging to see their defense and veteran presence step up and help turn around what was once a lost situation.

• Nets Coach Jordi Fernandez Credits Cam Thomas for Staying Connected with Teammates
• Nic Claxton Gushes Over Cam Thomas's Efficiency in Nets Win Over Timberwolves
• Cam Thomas’s Return Goes as Well as It Could’ve as Nets Rout Timberwolves
• Three Takeaways From The Nets Gritty Win Over The Timberwolves
• The Nets Should Entertain Michael Porter Jr. Trade Offers, But Can't Force a Deal