A change in attitude is leading Nets power forward Noah Clowney to a breakout season, writes Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Clowney admits being disappointed in the way he started his third NBA campaign, believing he was “too conservative” in his approach. That changed over the last 16 games, as he’s averaging 16.6 PPG while shooting 45% from the field and nearly 40% from three-point range.
“I didn’t want to mess up, so it got to a point where I just stopped caring. I was like, I’m either going to look crazy or look good doing what I’m supposed to do,” Clowney said. “I think my problem was at a time where I would be too worried about how I looked from the outside. I don’t really care no more because I had to realize the only people whose opinion I really care about and how I’m playing is my teammates and coaching staff that have seen me the whole summer. So, they know what I’m capable of so they weren’t having an issue with what I was doing. Just a matter of doing it and not halfway doing it.”
Clowney has become a fixture in the starting lineup and is playing a career-high 28.1 minutes per night on a Brooklyn team has become surprisingly competitive after an 0-7 start. He’s seeing more time alongside Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, which is creating better scoring opportunities. That trio has a +4.0 net rating in the 304 minutes they’ve been on the court together.
“It’s always easier to play with Mike because of the gravity he brings,” Clowney said. “You gotta respect him. If Mike is playing, the best defender is probably guarding Mike. I think he’s a focal point, obviously. So, he’s the focal point and I’m not a focal point. It’s a lot easier to get in the flow of the game and I think I’ve been able to thrive.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- Haywood Highsmith was able to shoot free throws Tuesday at the team’s practice facility, but there’s no official update on when he might be able to return from offseason surgery to address a meniscus tear in his right knee, Reilly adds. Highsmith, who was acquired from Miami over the summer, suffered a setback in October and has yet to make his Nets debut. “We like how he’s progressing, we just don’t have any updates,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “But he’s doing very well.”
- The Nets have an organizational plan for what they expect from their five first-round picks this season, Reilly states in a separate story. Fernandez wants them all to play between 50 and 70 games — whether it’s in the NBA or with the G League affiliate in Long Island — and to concentrate on building certain skills. Only No. 8 pick Egor Demin hasn’t spent time in the G League so far. “There are no emotional decisions here,” Fernandez said. “We have a schedule for these guys based on if they’re accomplishing certain things and what the team needs here to compete.”
- Fernandez describes the relationship with Long Island as “two clubs, but one organization,” per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). The biggest beneficiary so far has been rookie big man Danny Wolf, who barely got off the bench early in the season, but returned as a different player after a dominant stretch at Long Island. He’s averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists over his last six games while shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc, and his versatility enables Fernandez to utilize taller lineups.
Clowney would be nice next to Wemby just saying
Castle would fit great in Brooklyn. just saying… :)
Castle would be a great fit in Brooklyn. just sayin… let’s make it happen.
“The Nets have an organizational plan for what they expect from their five first-round picks this season”
I mean, how many these guys are going to even turn out to be that good? One? Maybe two?
Powell will be good, and Wolf has looked very good. Demin has shown flashes and range but he’s young and it will take time. Saraf and Traore are young too.. will take time to see but overall the group have had a positive impact.
ShaqFoo:
Maybe. I think there’s a lot of emphasis on these guys because the Nets don’t have much. But I doubt most of them develop into anything more than role players.
Always liked Clowney. Real good skill set for a modern 4. Needs to gain some weight/strength, which shouldn’t be a problem for him at his age.
His problem is BKN is tanking, complete with the usual musical chair lineups and roles. That’s a horrible platform for a young player at his stage of development in the 3rd year of his RSC. He’ll have to work through it.
Clowney put on considerable muscle this off-season. Compare what he looks like now to last year and the difference is pretty stark. He could continue to grow but I think the big jump already occurred.
You watch him play and its clear how much more physical his game is now. He’s tough enough to attack the basket effectively (look at the boost in FT attempts) and he’s become much more capable hanging with bigger players on defense. The versatility is really exciting.
Yes, he’s growing into his body, but he’s still isn’t there. His rebounding in traffic, particularly on the defensive end, where its more strength than length, needs to improve.
He’s just not a good rebounder. He has the size and strength. He hasn’t shown the knack for mixing it up.. he needs to get tougher. Good 2nd unit player.
He’s 21 y/o and listed at 210 lbs. Looks right to me. He may look strong, but nobody that age, frame and bulk is going to fare well as a big in the paint in the NBA on consistent basis. As he matures, he should move closer to his college rebounding rates.
He’s 6’9” at least… and not slightly built at all.. do you think he’s not more than 210?? He’s realistically 230 or more. He’s just on the soft side till now. I didn’t want to push that narrative but there I said it. He’s beginning to be a little bit more assertive lately, so we’ll see.
I watch every Net game, so trust me on this one.
No one watches Nets so no need to waste time on defense unless it’s steals blocks stat padding. All in offensive so you look good.