Just ask Jarrett Allen what it's like to be on a championship team and stand behind a former All Star waiting for a true opportunity to shine.
That's the exact same conundrum facing Nicolas Claxton, who is entering his third year with the Nets and behind not one, but three former All-Stars.
The young 7-footer has shown serious flashes of being a viable option to hold down the starting center position in the near future, but the presence of Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge and even Paul Millsap have created even more roadblocks in his quest for more minutes and game experience.
Brooklyn is in win-now mode, with championship or bust expectations. The reality is, Claxton will be a casualty of the Nets urgent situation to pursue a title.
It's not to say that Claxton won't garner runtime on the court, but the lion's share of the minutes will belong to the afforementioned trio of vets. In a league where prototypical centers try desperately to stay on the court with three and d schemes stretching the floor, it will be an uphill battle for Claxton.
The third year pro is not a perimeter shooting threat, but an effective rim runner, inside scorer and rim protector.
While Aldridge, Griffin, Millsap and even Bruce Brown stand between Claxton and the court, the Nets planned load management for Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving along with aging players across the roster could prove just enough to get Claxton his due time.
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