The Potential Future of the Nets' Front Court Shines Despite Loss to Pistons

The Brooklyn Nets advanced to 1-8 on the season after losing to the Detroit Pistons in their inaugural NBA Cup game of the 2025-26 season.

The rebuild is going according to plan as the Nets look to the future that will no doubt include more draft picks and roster reconstruction. On the flip side, Brooklyn may have pieces of a formidable front court forming in the current campaign.

Noah Clowney was inserted into the starting lineup Nov. 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and his production has gone up since. The addition of the 21-year-old alongside mainstays Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton proved to be more than competent despite a one-sided game against the Pistons.

The trio combined for 64 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three steals. It was an efficient night as well –– they shot 50% from the field and 50% from three.

An underrated aspect that they also added to the night was a high volume of free-throw attempts. Each of the three took at least six attempts from the charity stripe, and they only missed two combined.

In a night where no other Nets scored in double figures, it was promising to see three of the more experienced players on the roster step up. They basically matched minutes and were the sole reason that Brooklyn was in the game until the Pistons pulled away in the third quarter.

Looking at each player apart from the trio, they have been some of the most consistent players on the roster as of late.

Clowney has started three games now this season, and he has averaged 17 points, 3.7 rebounds and a steal per game when starting. Despite having an increased role, he has shot 44.4% from the field, an uptick from his 34.8% average across nine appearances.

After having slow starts to the season, Porter Jr. and Claxton have taken off in terms of scoring a efficiency. Porter Jr. is averaging over 27 points per game in his last four games and Claxton is averaging over 17 points per game in his last five games.

Porter Jr. has shot 46.3% from the field across his sample size, and Claxton is shooting 68.8% from the field during his sample size.

The trio is all under contract until the 2027 offseason as long as Brooklyn picks up Clowney's team option for next season. Even though the three forwards are playing well together, it would not be a shock to see one of them get traded for more draft capital and to make room for a player like Danny Wolf to get more minutes.