Nic Claxton’s Defense Fell Off… But The Bulls May Have The Perfect Reset
About this episode
Haize discusses Nic Claxton's defensive decline and the potential for a reset with the Chicago Bulls.
Can Nic Claxton become a high-level defensive center again for the Chicago Bulls? That’s the major question Haize breaks down on today’s Chicago Bulls Central . Claxton’s defensive decline is real, but it may also be contextual. He went from a system that maximized his switchability and rim protection to years of changing coverages, weaker team defense, more offensive responsibility, and a significant back issue. The Bulls are betting that a healthier Claxton, placed in a cleaner role under Tiago Splitter , can recover much of his previous impact. The numbers show the drop: Claxton’s blocks fell from 2.5 per game to 1.1 , his block percentage dipped from 7.1% to 3.7% , defensive win shares dropped from 4.0 to 1.5 , and his defensive box plus-minus slid from +2.2 to +0.6 . Haize explains why Brooklyn’s scheme changes, Claxton’s back injury, declining roster talent, rebounding drop-off, and expanded offensive role all played a part — and why Chicago’s path should be built around hybrid coverages, better point-of-attack defense, team rebounding from Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis, and workload management . Plus, the voicemail bag gets into Caleb Wilson’s Rookie of the Year chances…
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