Who's Nets 'Best Kept Secret'?

The Brooklyn Nets are about to unleash a full season of Noah Clowney into the NBA.

Apr 10, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) warms up before a game against the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney didn't play much in his rookie season, but he showed enough to be seen as a potential building block for the franchise moving forward.

Clowney, who turned 20 last month, appeared in 23 games for the Nets this past season, averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game for Brooklyn.

His flash of potential is why Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes named him the "best-kept secret" on the roster.

"The highlights were largely on D, where the willowy 19-year-old showcased a long reach and great timing as a help-side rim-protector. Clowney's 2.4 percent block rate ranked in the 96th percentile among bigs. Though not strong enough and lacking the pick-and-roll coverage reps to slide over to center, Clowney profiles as a fearsome shot-blocker who can also move his feet on the perimeter," Hughes writes. "Pair exciting defensive potential with a 36.4 percent hit rate from three-point range (while keeping in mind Clowney is only entering his age-20 season), and the Nets might really have something here."

With the Nets focused on rebuilding, Clowney is expected to be a larger factor in his second season. That will allow Brooklyn to see more of what they have in him and if he can eventually become a rotation piece for the next great Nets team.

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