Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney had plenty of room for growth in his game as he came into the NBA as a 19-year-old with the potential in make a difference in the frontcourt. Last season, Brooklyn saw Clowney take a major step in his game as he was more productive than he had been in his first two campaigns, but could he be poised for even more development?
"So, last season he entered this tier of players from whom I had no idea what to expect. And out of those players … he impressed me more than anyone when I got to see him play in games," TrueHoop's Coach Thorpe wrote on Clowney. Thorpe has been keeping track of players that intrigue him based on certain attributes and Clowney has caught his attention over the past year or so.
"Only three
players 21 or younger averaged at least 12 points and took at least 3.4 or more free throws per game: Clowney, Cooper Flagg, and Stephon Castle And he did that in only 27 minutes per game," Thorpe continued on Clowney. "He is not a good shooter. But at 33 percent from 3, where he’s been for his two seasons, he’s not bad and there’s every reason to think he is due for a big improvement."
Clowney, 22, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 39.6% from the field and 32.9% from behind the three-point line in 66 games played (60 starts). With how Clowney improved over last offseason, head coach Jordi Fernandez felt comfortable starting him at the power forward spot and he achieved career-highs in most of his per-game statistics.
Heading into this season, Brooklyn traded for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, meaning that Clowney will likely be coming off the bench unless Fernandez is willing to experiment with him at center. Even if Clowney isn't a starter coming out of training camp that begins later this month, he appears to have shown enough on tape to make those like Thorpe excited for what he can do in his fourth season.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Could Nets' Noah Clowney be set to break out in his fourth NBA season?
