The Perfect Example of Player Development is in the Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup

The youngest team in the NBA is the Brooklyn Nets, with an average player age of 24.9 years old. A common problem with rebuilding teams with an abundance of youth is allocating developmental minutes.

The Nets have been a blueprint this season for other teams trying to develop several young players at once. Their use of the G League and lineup decisions has left few prospects without a fair chance.

One player in particular who has benefited from Brooklyn's development strategy is third-year forward Noah Clowney. He came off the bench for the first six games of the season but has since been a starter in the last nine games.

Clowney was averaging 4.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game off the bench before getting the starting nod. The Nets didn't see his poor numbers as something that defined him and decided to give him a shot with the first five. That investment has had a high return so far.

In Clowney's nine games as a starter, he has increased his averages to 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and two stocks per game. The only stat that has gone down is his assists, and that's because he's getting more opportunities as a scorer.

Maybe more impressive than his uptick in scoring has been his improvements as a defender since joining the starters. Clowney was a non-factor on that end of the floor until the increased role.

Clowney stands 6-foot-10 and has a 7-foot-2 wingspan, but he's never been a positive defender. It was looking like a continued trend until entering the starting lineup. His instincts look improved in timing blocks and getting steals in passing lanes, which is likely due to being in a set lineup with set schemes instead of constantly changing bench lineups.

Inefficient shooting splits still linger, but Clowney's game is clearly more well-rounded and it's not just empty stats. It's also important to note that he is still only 21 years old, and efficiency often comes with time.

Given Brooklyn's five-man rookie class and nine players under 25 years old, it could look to use Clowney's developmental timeline as a tool for other promising pieces.

We've already seen Egor Demin and Drake Powell be firmly in the rotation the past few weeks, but on the reverse, the other three rookies have seen most of their reps come in the G League. Long Island will be a valuable tool in this rebuild.

Not every player will be great right away, or have the opportunity to be (Clowney for example), but that doesn't mean they're a lost cause. Brooklyn has a challenging road ahead, making sure it gets a good return from their draft picks and what it has done with Clowney bodes well for future project players.