One teammate’s absence presents an opportunity for others to step up. Nets second-year forward Noah Clowney seems to understand that concept fully.
Mikal Bridges, who was traded to the Knicks this offseason in exchange for Bojan Bogdanović, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton and a haul of future draft assets, was a friend and mentor to Clowney, as he was to other young players on Brooklyn’s roster.
Clowney said the biggest thing he learned from Bridges was how to manage his emotions. To never allow himself to get too high or too low throughout the course of a grueling regular-season schedule. Bridges led by example within the Nets’ locker room and carried himself in that manner each day. Clowney, who will turn 20 on Sunday, aspired to have similar levels of resolve — to not be so easily swayed by obstacles or intrusive thoughts.
“I feel like he reset every day, whether it was a bad day, good day, and came in with a smile on his face, so that’s what I would take,” Clowney said.
Clowney said he was enjoying a dip in the pool with his family when Bridges was dealt to the Knicks. He was shocked by Adrian Wojnarowski’s report, just like everyone else. When asked about the transaction on Tuesday at the Nets’ practice facility, Clowney said Bridges should almost feel proud that the Knicks coveted him to the point where they essentially traded away their future just to acquire him.
But the forward also made it clear that Bridges’ absence next season offers a chance to ascend into a larger role. Not just for him, but for other young players on Brooklyn’s roster. He plans on making the most of it. There is no reason to doubt that he will.
“No shade to [Mikal], that’s my dog,” Clowney said. “I love him, but to see us going into more of a rebuilding standpoint, that’s an amazing opportunity to me and I got to try to take advantage of that.”
Clowney, who was selected 21st overall in last year’s NBA Draft out of Alabama, was a standout performer toward the end of his rookie season in 2023-24. He averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game over his final six appearances and earned four starts. His career-best performance came in the Nets’ 115-111 defeat of the Indiana Pacers on April 3, where he poured in 22 points and went 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
While Brooklyn is in the midst of a rebuild, its frontcourt appears to be in great shape between Clowney and Nic Claxton, who signed a four-year, $100 deal to remain with the team this offseason. The Nets’ 106-102 defeat of the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center was the best tease of what that duo could be capable of in future seasons, as they combined for 12 blocks and dominated the paint defensively.
If they continue to create chemistry together, play off each other and complement each other, it will only expedite Clowney’s development in the NBA.
“We want Clax back,” Clowney said. “I think us on the court together, we’ve shown that we can do a little bit and I think we can improve on that obviously. We can be really good together. I was excited to see him sign.”
Clowney said he spent the early months of the offseason trying to expand his game in different ways. His second Summer League run will begin on Friday in Las Vegas, where he will get a chance to showcase how much he has improved over that span.
The forward wants to prove he can play multiple positions on offense. Defensively, he has focused on close-outs and containing guards on the perimeter without relying on help. However, he does not have a long list of individual goals entering Summer League action. He just wants to win games — something the Nets struggled to do on a consistent basis last season.
“I’m confident going in and I think we got a good team,” Clowney said. “My mindset is to win. I think last time I had the wrong mindset of trying to please everybody. Now I just don’t care anymore, so I’m just going in and trying to have fun.”
If there is one area of Clowney’s game to keep an eye on during Summer League, it is his 3-point shooting. He shot a solid 36.4% from behind the arc across 23 games last season, and any further development in that aspect of his game will only make him a more formidable frontcourt option in Brooklyn.
The confidence is there, his teammates know it, and they have seen him put in the work.
“That’s the mentality he came in with, and now he’s getting a chance to show it, getting to play,” said fellow second-year forward Jalen Wilson. “And once you put the reps in, the confidence grows and seeing the ball go in is everything you need as a hooper. So, he’s going to do it this summer and I think we’re all excited to see him do that.”
