"Only three players 21 or younger averaged at least 12 points and took at least 3.4 or more free throws per game: Clowney, Cooper Flagg, and Stephon Castle And he did that in only 27 minutes per game," Thorpe continued on Clowney. "He is not a good shooter. But at 33 percent from 3, where he’s been for his two seasons, he’s not bad and there’s every reason to think he is due for a big improvement. "
Clowney, , is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 39.6% from the field and 32.9% from behind the three-point line in 66 games played (60 starts). With how Clowney improved over last offseason, head coach Jordi Fernandez felt comfortable starting him at the power forward spot and he achieved career-highs in most of his per-game statistics.
Heading into this season, Brooklyn traded for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, meaning that Clowney will likely be coming off the bench unless Fernandez is willing to experiment with him at center. Even if Clowney isn't a starter coming out of training camp that begins later this month, he appears to have shown enough on tape to make those like Thorpe excited for what he can do in his fourth season.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: