Nic Claxton discusses Ben Simmons availability tonight vs Jazz

Nic Claxton discusses Ben Simmons availability tonight vs Jazz

Nick with just Ben being probable and most likely playing here tonight against the Utah Jazz just with his addition just how does he impact the game what does he just bring to the group I mean he definitely helps us it’s you know good to see him back with the group um

Of course he brings this extremely high basketball IQ being able to defend multiple positions on the defensive side of the ball rebounding um so you know we definitely happy to have him back I know he’s been around the team in these last couple weeks and was on the trip and the

West the Western the West Coast trip as well what have you just seen from him in this time being back around the team and just being back out in the court with you guys he’s been diligent he’s been locked in on his rehab of course you know nobody wants to go through what

He’s going through um you know with his back injur and everything but you know he’s happy to be back and I’m just happy to see how everything will look when him back with the group as one of the best switchable bigman yourself what kind of an advantage does that give to you guys

To have a guy his size who can Swit switch on multiple positions especially since you guys seem to have started to switch a little more like this month I think it just adds more versatility to the group in general just like you said having another guy who’s who’s used to

Switching and somebody I’m used to you know playing with and I feel like we did some really good things on defensive side of the ball last year so just been able to continue to add to that it’s going it’s going to be good speaking of the defense it’s top five in January uh

Do you think that’s just the change really to less drop more switching or is there anything else that’s going on there um I would say that the the switching probably has something to do with it but we’ve also been we’ve been in drop a little bit too and we just all

Been just more connected in General on the defensive side of the ball uh top five that in January that’s big we got to keep it up and keep building off of that I think that’s that’s where we should have been towards the beginning of the year but now that it’s finally

Everything starting to come together on the defense side of well and then just this time of year can get you know kind of the Dog Days longest part of the schedule before the all-star break are you trying to use the Ben Simmons you know return tonight as just a little bit

Of extra juice considering the time of year yeah that’ll be good having having his energy you know some fresh legs out there and then I mean we we’re pretty desperate right now we need wins we can’t we don’t have time to kind of be on cruise control right now you know

We’ve been taking a lot of losses so we need to definitely come out locked in you know Utah they going to be ready to go how is he sounded on the court as far as just you know being vocal has he just been kind of like back in the saddle

Talking to you guys and just being that presence vocally a little bit yeah even when even on the bench um I could just tell you know he was kind of mentally putting himself back out there on the court just you know um telling me what

He sees out there you know like I said his basketball IQ is extremely high so it’s going to be great to have him back when you look at just this Utah Jazz team you guys lost saw them in December what stands out about that game that’s going to be important for tonight

I mean Utah they they’ve kind of figured it out here recently they play extremely hard they I think they’ve scored over 120 points in the last five six games so offensively they’ve been playing really well they use a lot of different lineups and defensively they they use a lot of

Different defense just kind of junking the game up so we just need to come out um like continue to defense and and create good shots and be the best version of ourselves we’ll be good talk it just in that since we didn’t get to talk to you after last game you’ve had

Two pretty entertaining matchups with alar and shenon what have you seen just from him as he’s really had kind of an All-Star case this year in his third year in the league yeah like you said I think he’s playing at all Allstar level especially you know the game we played

Back in Houston um he really he really had his way um but know he’s young he’s extremely talented and definitely a tough cover and I think um he has a really really high ceiling I know you mentioned about how this team is desperate for a win and you

Get Ben back and now dorian’s out for tonight just how are you guys just balancing of when one player comes in another player is out just especially with where we are in this season right right now yeah it’s going to be tough you saw dor he went out with an ankle

Injury um that’s just a part of the NBA that’s a part of everybody’s challenge around the league just you know whoever whoever is available to play we got to we got to go with those guys you know we’re all professionals and we got to um just get wins that way

Nic Claxton meets with the media to discuss Ben Simmons’ availability tonight vs the Utah Jazz, what his return to the lineup means, the Nets’ defense in January, along with so much more. Subscribe for daily sports videos!

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