BKN 123, CHI 115: Claxton Comes Alive With 48 Yahoo FP
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician ยท Boston Celtics fan
Nets Win Thriller Behind Claxton's Dominance, But Here's What Actually Matters for Your Roster
Final: Nets 123, Bulls 115
Look, the Nets won a close one, but if you're paying attention to fantasy, that scoreline is almost a footnote. What actually went down was a showcase performance from Nic Claxton that should have every fantasy manager in a 12+ team league scrambling to check their waiver wire right now.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nic Claxton | 55.0 | 48.0 | 28/10/4 | 12.5/7.3/4.0 | +15.5 |
| Nolan Traore | 42.0 | 39.1 | 13/3/13 | 7.0/1.6/3.4 | +6.0 |
| Danny Wolf | 45.0 | 37.2 | 13/6/2 | 8.2/4.6/2.0 | +4.8 |
| Jaden Ivey | 38.0 | 35.7 | 13/6/3 | 8.5/2.4/1.8 | +4.5 |
| Anfernee Simons | 39.0 | 35.1 | 23/3/7 | 14.5/2.4/2.5 | +8.5 |
| Isaac Okoro | 35.0 | 31.8 | 10/4/4 | 8.9/2.7/1.5 | +1.1 |
| Noah Clowney | 36.0 | 31.2 | 22/6/0 | 13.0/4.3/1.8 | +9.0 |
| Matas Buzelis | 27.0 | 30.3 | 18/4/1 | 15.2/5.3/2.0 | +2.8 |
| Nick Richards | 29.0 | 29.7 | 12/6/1 | 3.9/3.5/0.3 | +8.1 |
| Collin Sexton | 21.0 | 28.5 | 21/5/1 | 14.4/2.0/3.7 | +6.6 |
The Claxton Explosion Is Real, Not a Fluke
Nic Claxton just dropped a 28/10/4 line on 80% shooting (12-15 FG). That's 48 Yahoo fantasy points, which is 15.5 points above his season average. On the surface, you might think this is a one-off hot game, and honestly, that's what I'd normally say about a center putting up numbers like this. But here's the thing, he's 80% from the field. That's not luck. That's efficiency.
The Nets gave him the ball in spots where he was feasting, and the Bulls had no answer. He was running pick and roll, rolling hard, and catching everything in rhythm. This is what Claxton does when the offense runs through him, and the Nets clearly decided that was the game plan tonight.
The question for your fantasy team: Is this sustainable? Claxton's season average of 12.5 points and 7.3 rebounds is fine, but not special. Tonight proved he's capable of way more. If the Nets keep feeding him at this volume, he's a legitimate pickup in 12-team leagues where he might still be available. His shooting percentage will regress from 80%, but even at 55-60%, he's putting up 25+ point nights regularly.
Traore's Assist Performance Is the Real Story
Nolan Traore had 13 assists. That's not a typo. The Nets' point guard went off for 13/3/13 in 31 minutes, exactly 9.6 assists above his season average. For context, he's averaging 3.4 assists normally. This is a massive leap.
Here's what matters: The Nets were moving the ball, and Traore was the conductor. He had 13 dimes against a Bulls defense that couldn't stop the extra pass. If this represents a shift in how Brooklyn is running their offense, Traore becomes a must-have in deeper leagues and a strong flex in 10-team setups.
The catch, though? His shooting was pedestrian (5-11 FG). So this is a pure floor game, not a ceiling game. You're banking on high assist volume and low turnovers. Given he only had one turnover, that's encouraging, but I'm not ready to call this a breakout until I see it twice more.
The Bulls Got Cooked and Nobody Really Stepped Up
On the flip side, Anfernee Simons had the best individual performance for Chicago with 23/3/7, but that came in a losing effort on 10-17 shooting. Collin Sexton was inefficient (7-18 FG) despite scoring 21 points, leaning hard on free throws (6-8 FT). Those are the kind of performances that look okay in the stat sheet but leave you wanting more.
Matas Buzelis (18/4/1) and Nick Richards (12/6/1) both showed up in the numbers, but this feels like garbage time stuff when the game is slipping away. Richards specifically was a huge +8.1 over his season average, but that's because his season average is so low (3.9 PPG). Nice game, but not a sign of things to come.
The Waiver Wire Take
If Nic Claxton is available in your league, you need to add him. Not tomorrow. Tonight. Even with normal production, he's a top-15 center. Tonight proved he can get hot enough to be special.
Nolan Traore is interesting in PPR leagues where assists are gold. If you're in a points league, he's less sexy, but if assists are your bread and butter, grab him off waivers if he's there.
Everyone else from this game? Hold what you have or fade. The Bulls underperformed, but nothing there screams "add immediately." Jaden Ivey had 3 steals, which is nice, but 13 points on 3-8 shooting isn't a story.
The Bottom Line
This game had one real fantasy narrative: Nic Claxton reminded everyone he's got way more upside than his season average suggests. Make a move on that if you can. Everything else is noise.