NBA Comparison: Taj Gibson

Strengths: Claxton is a long, fluid, wiry athletic four with a good deal of upside left to develop … He shows nice skills on the perimeter with some ability to handle and pass … Potentially making him very valuable in today’s NBA is his ability to guard multiple positions … He has quick feet which allows him to defend guards on the perimeter, giving him coveted pick and roll defensive ability … He has tremendous length, a 9’2 standing reach, which allows him to recover if he gets beat by his man … His long wingspan and vertical allows him to protect the rim … He’s a strong player in transition … His speed and ball handling ability allow him to be effective on the fast break … He has solid vision which allows him to make passes in the half court as well as the fast break … He is a decent scorer in the low post …  He’s good at drawing fouls … He hits the boards hard as evidenced by his almost 9 rebounds per game this season … Has NBA bloodlines, as his father played in the NBA for Boston … Has shown an improved jumpshot since the season ended, impressing in workouts …

Weaknesses: He has a thin frame and needs to put on more weight to avoid being bullied in the paint at the next level … Added strength will allow him to fight in the post for position on the block as well as be a stronger rebounder …  He doesn’t have a real offensive identity right now … Not a big scorer or very skilled offensively at this point … He struggled as a three point shooter last season … He only hit 28% of his threes … That might limit his ability to be a stretch big man in today’s game … He’s only a 64% free throw shooter … He is an inconsistent jump shooter … At times he is to passive on the offensive end of the floor … He should look to attack more often …

Outlook: Was a bit of a surprise to enter and keep his name in the draft so he has relatively less exposure than the average prospect … Has had solid workouts and seems to have made a good deceion to enter the draft as there’s a good chance that he gets selected in the top 25 … Claxton is a 6’11 forward with great versatility, on both ends of the floor … His ability to pass will allow him to be an extra playmaker on the court … His inconsistent shooting however can make him a liability at times on the offensive end of the floor, though he has shown some signs of improvement … He will most likely be drafted with his defensive ability in mind …
        
Notes: Measured: 6′ 10” barefoot, 6′ 11.75” in shoes,  216.6 lbs, 7′ 2.5” wingspan, and a 9′ 2” standing reach at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine … He is the son of Charles Claxton, a former player for the Boston Celtics back in 1995-96 season … He became the fourth player in Legacy Charter School in Greenville, South Carolina to score over 1,000 career points …

Zach Smith 6/14/19