Noah Clowney knows his place looks different this season, and he’s not pretending otherwise.
Two days before Brooklyn’s home opener, the 22-year-old forward said Monday he expects his minutes and touches to dip now that Julius Randle is in the mix. Clowney started 60 games last season, but he’s preparing for a bench role as the Nets enter a new year with new expectations.
“I play less minutes more than likely,” Clowney said. “Other than that, I think my role is not too much different.”
Last season, Clowney put up career-best numbers across the board, averaging 12.3 points and 27 minutes in 66 games. This year, the path is clearer but narrower: fewer chances to handle the ball, less room to create, and more pressure to make every touch count.
“Coming in with two ball handlers, the ball would be in my hands a lot less, 100%, but pick your spots, create chaos. That’s the goal,” he said.
Clowney framed the shift as part of life in the league, not some crisis. He said it may take a few games to settle in, but he didn’t sound rattled by the change.
What does have him upbeat is the direction of the team. With draft positioning no longer hanging over everything, the Nets are looking at Wednesday’s opener against the Charlotte Hornets through a different lens.
“There’s no benefit from losing. Nothing,” Clowney said.
Head coach Jordi Fernández has already laid out what he wants from Clowney. The coach praised his steadiness after a preseason in which he hit nine of 15 3-point tries, and he wants more work from him on the boards. Brooklyn was last in the NBA with 39.3 rebounds per game last season, while Clowney averaged 4.1 boards in 27 minutes a night.
“He can be better and he will be better,” Fernández said. “We brought those points to him, and we know he can impact not just the defensive glass but also the offensive glass and there’s no excuses.”
Monday also carried a deadline off the floor: Clowney had until then to sign a rookie-scale extension. If no deal comes, he’ll head into restricted free agency next summer. For now, his spot in the rotation will come down to the same things Fernández emphasized - defense, rebounding and making timely shots.
The Nets will also open the season short-handed in the frontcourt. Fernández said rookie forward Tyler Bilodeau, who has a sprained shoulder, will not play Wednesday. The coach didn’t sound overly concerned and expects him back soon.
Bilodeau was the No. 43 overall pick in June’s NBA draft and appeared in two preseason games. At UCLA last season, he averaged 17.6 points and 5.6 rebounds while leading the Big Ten in 3-point shooting at 46.4%.
There is better news with Joshua Jefferson. The No. 28 overall pick missed the entire preseason with back stiffness, but he was back in contact practice Monday and worked with the group.
“He just practiced, contact practice, did a great job,” Fernández said. “Happy to see him back.”
Jefferson averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his final season at Iowa State. Brooklyn now has another frontcourt option available, though Fernández did not say whether Jefferson will be on the floor against Charlotte.
Beyond the injury updates, Fernández also spent part of his summer swapping ideas with Pep Guardiola. The former Manchester City manager visited Brooklyn’s gym after leaving the club this summer, and Fernández said Guardiola wanted to see the players work out and spend time around the team.
“He loves basketball, so he wanted to see the gym and the players and watch them work out,” Fernández said.
Their conversations covered leadership, handling tough moments and blending different personalities into one group. Fernández has spent camp stressing connectivity and selflessness with a roster that looks different than last season’s, and he said Guardiola’s ability to manage people left an impression.
“He embraces people and makes them work together and win championships,” Fernández said. “And the human quality is very important, and you can tell why he brought groups together, not just in Spain, but also in Germany and in Manchester.”
Fernández came away convinced Guardiola’s run of success across three countries says plenty about him, and that there may still be more ahead.
“I’m sure he’ll do it again. We just don’t know when,” Fernández said.
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