“I know I can help him a little, and he helps me a little bit” - Blake Griffin on Brooklyn Nets youngster Nic Claxton

Blake Griffin feels that he and Nic Claxton complement each other's abilities fairly well while on the court for the Brooklyn Nets, according to Kristian Winfield of NY Daily news.

“He’s [Nic Claxton] is great at what he does. I know I can help him a little bit, and he helps me a little bit. The things we don’t bring, I think the other one has, so I really enjoyed playing with Nic," said Brooklyn Nets' Blake Griffin.

While Blake Griffin joined the Brooklyn Nets midway through the season last year, Nic Claxton has been an integral part of the squad ever since he was picked 31st overall by the franchise in the 2019 NBA Draft.

The Brooklyn Nets won all but one of their preseason matchups, and seem to have found their stride heading into the regular season.

How Nic Claxton is the yin to Blake Griffin's yang on the Brooklyn Nets

Both Griff and Clax are switchable defenders [Image: NY Daily News]

With the Brooklyn Nets stacked to the brim with elite ball-handling and scoring talent, Nic Claxton and Blake Griffin make for the indispensable hustle on the boards as well as much-needed inside-out defense.

While Blake Griffin has transformed into a great switchable defender with the ability to drop, recover and switch with ease, Nic Claxton's rim protection saw him averaging 1.3 blocks per game during his sophomore year. They can either alternate as perimeter defenders or help-side defenders and clamp the opposing team's ball handlers without drawing fouls.

From an offensive standpoint, Blake Griffin can post-up and space the floor with his perimeter shooting and make baseline cuts. Meanwhile, Nic Claxton can grab any offensive rebound in sight and jam thunderous alley-oops, but is yet to tap into his complete scoring potential.

The Brooklyn Nets are surefire title favorites this year around. With additional offseason reinforcements in Patty Mills and LaMarcus Aldridge, the stage is set for them to win it all. Such a situation calls for timely contributions off the bench from players like Griffin and Claxton, who can run the second unit in sync and keep the offense rolling.

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