FILM STUDY: LaMarcus Aldridge? Blake Griffin?? Nicolas Claxton??? Are Nets loaded upfront?!

Still on a tear, even with stars in and out of the lineup, the Brooklyn Nets have cruised thanks to what was once the team’s biggest weakness... the front court. Already enjoying the fruits of Nicolas Claxton’s breakout sophomore season, general manager Sean Marks hit the buyout market searching for gold... and found it, nabbing former All-Star talents LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin.

In this video, I took a look at what each of Brooklyn’s latest big man signings bring to the table as well as an updated look at Nicolas Claxton’s development.

SECTIONS:

• 1:30 LaMarcus Aldridge Defense - Brooklyn has mostly used Aldridge in a conservative drop coverage, and he’s been exceptional in it, with opponents shooting -7.5% worse at the rim when Aldridge is on the floor. He’s in a system that plays to his strengths perfectly.
• 5:18 LaMarcus Aldridge Offense - With a silky post-up game, retrofitted with smooth face-ups and turnaround jumpers, Aldridge has added a new element to Brooklyn’s already potent offense; he forces double-teams from the post, igniting swing-swing action along the perimeter.
• 7:18 Blake Griffin Defense - Blake Griffin has been Brooklyn’s switchblade defender, doing a little bit of everything: Switching... hedging and recovering... even some drop coverage. Speedy guards can give him trouble on switches, but holistically Griffin has been a net-positive on defense.
• 9:43 Blake Griffin Offense - This is the theme with Blake Griffin; he’s been a jack of all trades, especially on offense. He can post-up mismatches. He can pass. He can even space the floor!
• 12:40 Nicolas Claxton Defense - Clax has only improved on his strong start as a defender, clamping up a variety of superstar players since I last discussed his game in film. Moreover, he’s improved substantially as a help-side defender in just one month’s time.
• 17:06 Nicolas Claxton Offense - For as polished as Claxton is on offense at such a young age, he’s just as raw on the other side of the floor. He’s shown moderate growth since making his debut in February, improving as a screener both on and off the ball. But by far, his biggest, most prominent development is his sudden hunger to grab every offensive rebound in sight.

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