Noah Clowney Voted Brooklyn Nets' Most Disrespected Hidden Gem

As the Brooklyn Nets gear up for the 2025-26 NBA season, one forward on their squad will be poised to bounce back from an injury-riddled season and prove his first-round value to the team that drafted him in 2023. That forward would be former Alabama Crimson Tide talent Noah Clowney, whom the Nets selected No. 21 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Jan 27, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) warms up before a game against the Sacramento Kings at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Coming off a 46-game season, Clowney missed time due to multiple ankle injuries before being shut down for the remainder of the season on March 29 after sustaining a right ankle sprain. He had two stretches during the season where he missed seven games in a row and another stretch of 14 consecutive games.

Following the commencement of the 2024-25 season, the Nets' second-year forward talked to the media about his second season being over.

“It’s a sense of relief, almost,” Clowney said. “I got time now to work on stability in places where I was having injuries and a chance to better my game before we come back for next season, so that’s always good. I think that now that I’ve got a lot more games under my belt, I’ve learned a lot more, and I know how to approach this summer versus my first summer."

The Nets’ projected rotation next season:

Starters: Egor Demin, Cam Thomas, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney, Nic Claxton

Second Unit: Nolan Traore, Terance Mann, Ziaire Williams, Danny Wolf, Day’Ron Sharpe

Brooklyn is in prime position to net a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/T3pFJPGs1Y
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 10, 2025

Now with a better approach ahead of his third season with Brooklyn, Clowney could find himself in a starting role during Brooklyn's rebuild season.

Although he only logged under 50 games last season, the 21-year-old forward managed to tally 20 starts for the Nets, putting together an average of 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Happy 21st to Noah Clowney! 🎉

Some highlights from this season, still think he has so much potential yet to be shown pic.twitter.com/5xSJnC3Imd
— SleeperNets (@SleeperNets) July 14, 2025

Dan Favale from Bleacher Report released his list Every NBA Team's Most Disrespected Hidden Gem, which featured Noah Clowney as the hidden gem for the Brooklyn Nets.

"Throwing all these concerns out of the window is a massive stretch. But Clowney is just 21 and dealt with plenty of ankle issues this past season. Latitude remains a reasonable default, at least into next season," stated Favale. "Bigs who can navigate the floor like he does, at both ends, are hardly dime-a-dozen. This is a 6'11" forward-center who can take threes off motion for crying out loud."

Noah Clowney:

Y1: 5.8 PPG/3.5 REB/.8 AST/16.1 MIN

Y2: 9.1 PPG/3.9 REB/.9 AST/22.7 MIN

Y3: ?

Got his season cut short this year from the ankle injury. Predict his stats going into year three.

Is he due for a breakout year? pic.twitter.com/2qc63Zkz7E
— SleeperNets (@SleeperNets) July 7, 2025

Favale's heavy praise could create excitement for Nets fans preparing for Clowney's third season with the team. Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez has been praised in the past for his player development capabilities, and the Brooklyn fan base certainly hopes that is the case for their 21-year-old forward.

Following this season, the Nets will have one more club option to cap off Noah Clowney's rookie contract, so the forward will certainly be hoping to have a big year and earn an extension with Brooklyn.