Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney will remain sidelined for an extended period after suffering a setback in his recovery from an ankle sprain. Clowney, who has been out since Jan. 27, re-injured his ankle during a five-on-five scrimmage before the All-Star break.
“That was unfortunate, but those are things that you cannot control. It was just bad luck, stepping wrong or into something. He’ll be back soon,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez. “He’s right now doing his 1-on-0 workouts. So he’s moving around, he’s shooting, and we know we’ll have him back at some point.”
This marks Clowney’s second extended absence due to a left ankle sprain this season. He missed seven games after spraining the ankle during a Nov. 24 road win over the Sacramento Kings.
Noah Clowney suffers ankle injury setback at Nets practice
Clowney has been up and down while stepping into a rotation role during his sophomore campaign. The No. 21 pick in the 2023 draft has averaged 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game over 37 appearances. He’s continued to develop his three-point stroke at the pro level, shooting 35.4 percent on 5.6 attempts per game.
Clowney’s offensive game has been heavily reliant on his three-point shot. The 20-year-old ranks seventh among NBA forwards at 12.0 three-point attempts per 100 possessions (minimum 25 games played). However, he’s struggled when run off the line, shooting 42.2 percent on just 2.4 two-point attempts per game.
Following an impressive close to his rookie season, his defensive impact has left something to be desired. He’s averaged 0.8 blocks per 36 minutes after averaging 1.6 per 36 over 23 appearances last season. Opponents are scoring 7.5 more points per 100 possessions during Clowney’s minutes this season, the team’s worst defensive rating swing, per CleaningTheGlass.
Ziaire Williams, Jalen Wilson and Tosan Evbuomwan will continue to see expanded roles in Brooklyn’s frontcourt as Clowney recovers from his ankle setback.
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