Brooklyn Nets HC Jordi Fernández Breaks Down Next Steps for Noah Clowney

The Nets prospect was shut down for the season due to an ankle injury.

Mar 24, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernández discussed what he’d like to see from Noah Clowney going forward and what he’s worked on this season, via comments picked up by ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater.

"His physicality, especially on the defensive end, and lately, his [driving] decisions,” Fernández said. “If he's not going to shoot it, then he’s going to put the ball on the floor, and how can he get to the rim with one-two dribbles and be efficient?”

Clowney averaged 9.1 points this season. 5.7 of his 8.1 field goal attempts per game were 3-pointers, heavily slanting his shot diet toward spot-ups. The Nets forward shared the floor with Nic Claxton, Day’Ron Sharpe or Ben Simmons (when he was on the team) plenty of times this season, so his floor-spacing ability was needed, but Clowney also can’t only shoot threes.

Fernández added: “Whether it's an easy drive and kick, or finish at the rim. I think in the last few games — I know the sample size was small — but he's been working on it, and that's what he's going to focus on throughout the summer.”

Clowney was ruled out for the season due to a right ankle sprain on April 2. The 20-year-old suffered that injury in the last quarter of the Nets’ win on March 29 against the Washington Wizards. Then, Clowney scored 13 points in 19 minutes on 4-for-12 from the field and 3-for-8 from three. He’d previously tweaked his left ankle a couple of times this season. 

“Once he's on the court and he plays minutes consistently, I have no doubt that he's going to continue to get better,” Fernández said. “So we believe that he's part of our future, and he's had a really good season. I know that with the injuries, it's been a little up and down — and injuries that [he] cannot control — but we're very, very happy with him."

In comments picked up by NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan, Nets wing Ziaire Williams praised Clowney’s “phenomenal season” and his “growth” on and off the court. Williams even compared the second-year prospect to two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

He said about Clowney: “Mistakes are gonna happen, but he always bounced back well, and he’s an unbelievable shooter. I really think he could be like [...] near better than Giannis. I tell him that all the time, like, ‘Bro, you could be better than Giannis, for real.’ And he puts the work in. So I’m excited to see his growth this summer, and then the years to follow on, but [...] God willing, he’ll be definitely an NBA pro for a long time.”

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