Claxton's imminent return provides a lift as the Nets face an injury-plagued Nuggets squad, even with key players sidelined.
Heading into a matchup against the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Sunday evening, the team received a new update on former Defensive Player of the Year candidate center Nic Claxton's availability.
According to a recent update from Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, the two-way big man could be expected to miss the coming contest, but return to action soon after.
"Jordi Fernandez said the Nets expect Nic Claxton back tomorrow following a two-game absence due to personal reasons," ClutchPoints' Erik Slater shared via X.
For a Nets frontcourt group aiming to feast against the Nikola Jokić and Jonas Valančiūnas-less Nuggets, Claxton's potential reinsertion could have proven to be a massive development. Even though he'll miss the chance to beat down on Denver's lacking frontcourt, Nets fans will still accept the news of his imminent return.
With Brooklyn's possible first-time All-Star Michael Porter Jr. coming into the contest with a score to settle after being shipped away from Denver via trade this past offseason, He could look to carry the Nets past the Nuggets even without their star rim-protector simply due to his consistent scoring output.
Still, Denver's dynamic offensive engine at the point guard position, Jamal Murray, awaits. The stellar 6-foot-4 combo-guard has also authored a season worthy of a possible first-time All-Star selection and remains one of the league's toughest one-on-one matchups.
The former star teammate of Porter Jr. enters the night averaging a remarkable 25.4 points, 6.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds while connecting on an absurd 45.5% of his three-point attempts, making him one of the most efficient players in all of the NBA on a high volume of distance shooting tries.
Brooklyn and Porter Jr. will be hoping to counteract Murray's blistering three-point shooting against an injury-riddled Denver lineup, as even Murray himself enters the night with a probable listing despite recently suffering an ankle injury.
Denver's do-it-all forward Aaron Gordon and two-way guard Christian Braun have also been listed as questionable for the contest after missing roughly one month each due to hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively.
Even if both impactful players return, the Nets' No. 2 rated defense in the NBA over the past 10 games (107.7 defensive rating) won't be taking it easy on Denver's beaten-up supporting cast, especially on such a meaningful night for their star player.
Claxton may not be ready just yet to help the Nets potentially land a massive win over a Western Conference titan, but he'll be waiting in the wings following their matchup against the Nuggets.