There is a threshold where a coach could start a player and use him in shorter spurts and be creative in his rotations. But Fernandez sounds disinclined to put Claxton back into the lineup until he’s cleared to log starter’s minutes — at least 24 minutes and possibly topping 30. It’s unclear when that might be.

Per Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, center Nic Claxton will not play in Wednesday's game at the Memphis Grizzlies due to injury maintenance.

Nic Claxton could return to the Nets starting lineup next week as he continues to progress back from a preseason hamstring injury.

"Right now, it's important for him that he goes through the back-to-back [tonight] and he feels good," Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said.

Nic Claxton finally got his first start of the season, after missing the whole preseason. And he looked like himself in a 106-104 victory over Memphis. “Just effort, execution, grit. It was a great game,