Projecting Noah Clowney’s Year 3 Growth; Nets Forward Poised for Bigger Impact

All the talk surrounding Noah Clowney at Brooklyn Nets media day was about how evidently stronger the 2023 first-rounder appears to be. Clowney spent the offseason bulking, and now looks like a "grown man" in the words of his head coach, Jordi Fernandez.

“He looks great, and credit to him and the work he’s put in the whole summer,” Fernandez said via C.J. Holmes of the Daily News. “He looks like a grown man at just 21, and I’m excited to watch him play real games.”

Clowney enjoyed an up-and-down sophomore campaign in 2024-25, nearly doubling his nightly scoring average (from 5.8 to 9.1 points per game) despite seeing a significant dip in overall efficiency. As a rookie, in 16.1 minutes per game, Clowney shot a staggering 53.8% from the field. That number dropped to just 35.8% last season, even though his percentage from beyond the arc remained virtually the same.

But the shooting percentage should come back up this season. Now that Cowney's weight better matches his 6-foot-9 frame, he'll be able to convert down low far better than he was before the bulk. Remember, Clowney was logged at just 209 lbs last season and primarily played the four. He showed much more of a willingness to step beyond the 3-point line than to charge into the key, but that issue should be solved due to the weight gain.

Of course, Clowney will need to develop the confidence to put his head down and drive into the lane, but that will come with time.

“That’s been the whole goal, being a better driver,” Clowney said. “I have to get stronger; I have to be able to drive through contact and be able to still be able to explode.”

The more Clowney develops, the more lethal a frontcourt the Nets will have to deploy. If Clowney can become that prototypical "bruiser," he'll perfectly complement Drew Timme, a traditional, down-low four/five, and Danny Wolf, a modern, do-it-all big.

Still just 21 years old, Clowney has plenty of time to develop—but the sooner he does, the sooner Brooklyn can check "power forward" off its list of priority positions.