Center Nic Claxton Debuts for Chicago Bulls in Loss to 76ers

When Bryson Graham acquired Nic Claxton this summer, the veteran center was expected to be the Bulls' defensive anchor. A left hamstring strain suffered during training camp delayed Claxton's integration into Chicago's roster until Sunday afternoon, when the big man came off the bench for his first action as a Bull.

Claxton played 17 minutes and 41 seconds in the Bulls' 127-121 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He finished with four points on 2-of-3 shooting, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

The Bulls' medical staff placed a 16-to-20-minute restriction on Claxton for his return. Those limitations proved necessary, as Tiago Splitter said he could tell the big man was "gassed" running up and down the court.

"Rhythm felt a little off, but it felt good to finish the game healthy and be able to keep stacking," Claxton said following the game. "I needed the restriction today. I was a little tired."

The Bulls currently rank first in the NBA in pace, which proved to be a problem for Claxton in his first NBA game since April. But Claxton still managed to make an impact in his limited minutes, particularly on the defensive end of the floor.

Chicago's defensive rating of 123.6 is the worst in the NBA this season. Some of that is likely due to Splitter being forced to play a small-ball center rotation of Jalen Smith, Zach Collins and Leonard Miller with Claxton out. It could also be that the Josh Giddey-Norman Powell combination is not a strong defensive backcourt.

Claxton won't fix every problem on the Bulls' defense, but his size and instincts should make the unit better than it has been. With Claxton as the primary defender on Sunday, Sixers players shot just 4-of-11 from the field.

"Even if he's not blocking shots, just his presence deters guys from going in there and finishing," Giddey said. "Obviously, he's on a restriction right now, but as he kinda frees up and starts to learn the guys he's playing with and the system a little more, he's going to be better and better. I think he gives us that paint presence and that rim protection — not that we haven't had — but he just gives us a different element to it and I thought he was really good tonight."

Giddey called Claxton a "high-IQ" player, and perhaps no play was more emblematic of that than his second-quarter block on Joel Embiid. Despite being winded and still trying to find his groove, Claxton was going all-out in trying to prevent an entry pass to the former MVP. Upon seeing Philadelphia moving the ball around, Claxton quickly reacted and spun off of Embiid to put himself in better positioning to protect the basket.

By the time Embiid got the ball in the post, Claxton had rotated from Embiid's right side to his left and stood directly between the seven-footer and the hoop. That allowed him to rise up and swat the ensuing layup attempt, setting up a fastbreak opportunity for Matas Buzelis.

Claxton still has a ways to go in terms of ramping up to NBA-level conditioning and stamina. Over seven seasons in Brooklyn, the 6-foot-11 center averaged 26.2 minutes per game. Given Chicago's lack of frontcourt depth, it's likely that Splitter will want to see Claxton eventually play similar minutes for the Bulls.

He'll have to find his rhythm on both ends of the floor quickly, as Claxton will likely be tasked with guarding San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama on Wednesday night.