Summary
Noah Clowney is the Brooklyn Nets' most improved young player — a 6'10" power forward drafted 21st overall in 2023 who made a significant leap in his second NBA season. His career-high 31 points with 7 three-pointers against the Knicks in November 2025 announced his arrival as a legitimate NBA rotation player. At 21, he's the kind of switchable, shooting big that modern basketball demands.
Key Insights
- Drafted 21st overall in 2023 out of Alabama — the Nets' first real lottery-adjacent pick of the rebuild
- Career-high 31 points and 7 threes vs. Knicks (November 24, 2025) — a breakout game
- 2025-26 stats: 12.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG — significant improvement from 9.1 PPG as a rookie
- Spent his first year split between NBA and G League (17.4 PPG in G League)
- Athletic, switchable defender who can guard 3-5 — fits the modern NBA archetype
- Developing three-point range is the key to his ceiling
Details
Development Arc
- Year 1 (2023-24): Mostly G League development. Averaged 17.4 PPG with Long Island Nets. NBA breakthrough: 22 points and 10 rebounds in 17 minutes vs Indiana (April 3, 2024), going 7-for-9. Showed he could produce when given minutes.
- Year 2 (2024-25): 46 games, 20 starts. Averaged 9.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG but shot just 35.8% from the field — consistency wasn't there. Right ankle sprain ended his season April 2.
- Year 3 (2025-26): The leap. Starting 60 of 66 games, 27.0 MPG, 12.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG. Three-point shooting at 32.9%. Career-high 31 points with 7 threes vs Knicks (November 24, 2025) — the statement game that announced him as a legitimate NBA starter.
Fit on the Rebuild
Clowney's timeline is perfect. At 21, he'll be 24-25 when the Nets should be competing. His skillset (switchable defense, developing shooting, athletic finishing) complements Egor Demin and Nic Claxton. A frontcourt of Clowney + Claxton gives the Nets size and versatility.
Related
Open Questions
- Can Clowney sustain 35%+ three-point shooting over a full season?
- Is he a future starter or a high-level sixth man?
- How does he fit alongside Danny Wolf, who plays a similar position?