Over the past six weeks, the Nets have made major changes to its roster, trading guard Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors and forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers. More moves are likely before next Thursday’s (February 6) NBA trade deadline. One player who is a near certainty to remain with the Nets for the rest of this season is 20-year-old Noah Clowney.
In 2023, the 6-9 forward was drafted by the Nets out of the University of Alabama in the first round, 21st overall. He has displayed versatility on both ends of the court and his offensive skills in particular are expanding. Clowney knocked down five three-pointers against the Detroit Pistons on January 8 in scoring a career-high 29 points, albeit in a 113-98 loss. His ability to play as stretch four gives the Nets an added dimension. After starting four of the 23 games he played last season as a rookie, Clowney had appeared in 37 of the Nets’ 47 games this season, including 18 starts, going into last night’s road matchup with the Charlotte Hornets.
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He sprained his left ankle on Monday night at the Barclays Center facing the Sacramento Kings with 3:13 left in the second quarter and did not return. The Nets would lose the game 110-96 to fall to 14-33, the third-worst record in the 15-team Eastern Conference. Two candidates to be traded, forward Cam Johnson and guard Cam Thomas, are also ailing. Johnson has been out since last week’s home loss to the Knicks with a right ankle sprain and Thomas has been sidelined since Jan. 2 with a left hamstring strain.
When he returns to the court, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez expects Clowney, who is averaging 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds going into last night’s games, for which his status was uncertain as of AmNews press time.
“I like his versatility, I like his competitiveness, and he’s not second guessing, he’s being aggressive and I’m proud of him,” Fernandez said after Clowney’s career best game versus the Pistons earlier this month.
“He’s showing us what he’s able to do,” he said. “He’s showing us coaches, he’s showing his teammates and when we have our group back (healthy) then I’m completely comfortable calling certain things for him. Because I’ve seen him do it and he’s showing me that he can do it so it is just making our group better.”
Clowney said Fernandez instills confidence in him by encouraging him to shoot.“(He keeps) telling me to keep shooting the ball even when I have bad stretches,” Clowney said. “I think anytime you have a good performance, it’s good for your confidence. Obviously, you know what you can do, but when you do it at the highest level in the real games where it matters, it translates.”
The Nets will play the Houston Rockets the next two games. Saturday they will be on the road and then come home to the Barclays for a rematch on Tuesday.
