Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney showed some promise in his second season in his NBA as head coach Jordi Fernandez was able to get Clowney more comfortable on the perimeter. As Clowney heads into this third season with Brooklyn bringing in five new rookies, one of the main questions for the Nets is what they currently have in Clowney heading into next season.
“The numbers say Noah Clowney is coming off a depressing sophomore campaign. A sub-52 true shooting percentage is ghastly, even for a perimeter-oriented big,” Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale wrote in his section explaining how Clowney is the hidden gem on the Nets. Clowney is coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 35.8% from the field and 33.3% from three-point land.
“Eye-test truthers will not be much kinder. Clowney is spindly, which makes for intriguing off-ball movement and defensive playmaking in transition but also leaves him getting nudged off course on drives and struggling to finish through contact,” Favale continued. “Throwing all these concerns out of the window is a massive stretch. But Clowney is just 21 and dealt with plenty of ankle issues this past season. Latitude remains a reasonable default, at least into next season.”
Despite the fact that Clowney’s shooting percentages from last season leave a lot to be desired, it is still important to remember that he is still young enough to make considerable improvements in his game and in his body. Just from his rookie year to last season, Clowney improved in almost every statistical category as he appeared to be stronger and more composed on the floor.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, Clowney will be part of a forward rotation that became more competitive over the summer with players like Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, and Danny Wolf being added to the roster. Assuming that Porter starts as small forward next season then Clowney should have the inside track to start at power forward. However, he may have his work cut out for him going into training camp with the depth at the forward spots for Brooklyn.