NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney has been ruled out for the rest of the 2024-25 season with his latest injury, a right ankle sprain this time. Brooklyn has just six games left over the next two weeks so it's possible that the team is giving him a head start to his rehab, but various members of the team gave their takes on what Clowney did during his second season.
"Going down to efficiency, I think later in the season, in the last few games, he was a lot better, more efficient with his drives and less turnovers and more efficiency at the rim," Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said of Clowney Wednesday shortly after telling the media at practice that he was out for the rest of the season. It's no secret that Clowney does most of his damage from three-point land, but the organization has been looking for him to add to his game as he matures.
"I think he had some bright spots and he probably knows what he has to work on going into his third year," Brooklyn forward Trendon Watford said. "Noah’s young, man. He’s had some bright spots, a lot of bright moments during this season. The fans should be happy for his growth he’s made in year one and year two and can’t wait to get into year three and get even better."
While Clowney's three-point percentage decreased from 36.4% last season to 33.3% this season, he shot more three-pointers as he went from 1.4 attempts per game during his rookie season to 5.7 per game in 2024-25. However, his finishing at the when he gets run off the three-point line is still an area of improvement. Of players with at least 1.9 field-goal attempts within eight feet of the basket this season, Clowney has the 10th-worst shooting percentage in the league within that range. The belief in Clowney remains strong, however.
"I think he had a phenomenal season. I thought he showed a lot of growth, not just on the court, but just mentally," Nets forward Ziaire Williams said. "He reminds me of me when I was in my second year, just wanting to be perfect, wanting to be your P's and Q's all the time. Mistakes are going to happen, but he always bounced back well. He's an unbelievable shooter. I really think he could be damn near better than (Milwaukee Bucks superstar) Giannis (Antetokounmpo). I'll tell him that all the time. Like, bro, you could be better than Giannis, for real."
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets give their takes on Noah Clowney's second season in the NBA
