Nets first-round pick Noah Clowney has Defensive Player of the Year aspirations
It’s a new era in Brooklyn as the Nets enter their first full season without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
And with the No. 21 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday, the Nets selected Alabama’s 6-foot-10 forward, Noah Clowney, a promising big man that can potentially give Brooklyn the size it has lacked in recent seasons.
Clowney was an SEC All-Freshman with the Crimson Tide. In 34 games (all starts), Clowney averaged nearly 10 points and eight rebounds a game. He also picked up 32 blocks last season.
He was a big part of getting Alabama to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed and he feels he can bring that production on both ends of the floor to the Nets.
“Offensively I feel like I can bring a lot, spacing the floor, decision-making, a bunch of different things,” Clowney told reporters after he was drafted. “Defensively is where I hang my hat. Guard multiple positions, protect the rim, do it all. I do whatever I’m asked. I’m a good teammate.”
Clowney says the system they run at Alabama is a “modern” style and is the most translatable to the NBA. But Clowney’s coach at Alabama gave him a piece of advice that he plans to bring to the pros.
“Coach told me that I have to find my role and be the best at my role,” Clowney said. “Finding my role in my new team and perfecting it with my new team will be the key to my success early.”
With Clowney’s size and athleticism, he was asked if he looked into the Nets’ recent history of developing big men like Jarrett Allen and Nic Claxton. He said he didn’t consider how any team would develop him because he wasn’t sure where he would be drafted, but now that he’s in Brooklyn he plans to look into it more.
“Development is the biggest piece to this if you ask me,” he said.
Clowney may not be completely familiar with the Nets organization but he does mention two players he loves to watch.
“Nic Claxton. He’s from my area back home, very nearby,” he said. “I like Mikal Bridges because of the role he played with the Suns and then to come here and step up, waiting his turn.”
Clowney’s affinity for Bridges’ journey to Brooklyn does mirror what he was taught at Alabama, to develop your skills and show the world what you can do when it’s time. It may not be realistic to see the 18-year-old be a key contributor to this Nets team next season, but he’s ready to learn and improve his skills so one day he’s considered one of the best defensive big men in the league.
"I want to get better and perfect my game in every part possible. I want to be as versatile as I can be. As far as dribbling, shooting, everything,” Clowney said when asked where he sees himself in 2-3 years. “I want to be able to pass the ball well because if you’re a good decision-maker it makes the game a whole lot easier offensively.
"And defensively I want to be in conversations for Defensive Player of the Year awards. That’s what I always strive to do.”
Aside from that Clowney added that in the end, he wants what all NBA players want.
“But truthfully I want playoff runs. I want to win.”
The Nets, despite losing their two biggest stars in the middle of the season, made the playoffs with a young core of players. Clowney, and the Nets, hope to be a key part of that core for years to come.
