Noah Clowney just “didn’t like it anymore” before finally playing for the Nets

Despite several ankle sprains that put a limit on his second season, there was no concern about Noah Clowney’s development for Jordi Fernández.

“We saw him as part of our future,” the coach said after training on Tuesday.

At the start of this season, the third-year forward got off to a rough start due to what Clowney believed was him being “too conservative” on the floor.

However, after the Nets’ 0-7 start, the 21-year-old has found his groove and the team’s belief in him is paying off.

In the last sixteen games, Clowney has averaged 16.6 points on 45 percent shooting from the field and almost 40 percent from outside the box.

In the first seven games of the season, he scored just 27 percent and averaged just 5.5 points.

“I didn’t want to screw it up, so it got to the point where I just didn’t care anymore. I thought, I’m either going to look crazy or I’m going to look good doing what I have to do,” Clowney said. “I think my problem was at a time when I was too worried about how I looked from the outside. It doesn’t really matter to me anymore because I had to realize that the only people whose opinion I really care about and how I play are my teammates and coaching staff, who have seen me all summer. So they know what I am capable of, so they had no problem with what I did. Just a matter of doing it and not doing it halfway.”

Clowney is playing the most minutes of his NBA career so far, averaging 28 minutes per game, which has given him more opportunities, especially next to Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton in the frontcourt.

Playing with the veterans has proven useful for Clowney, who has scored big times in games when Porter has been hot, such as against Charlotte (18) and the Bulls (20). According to PBPStats.com, the trio has a combined net rating of +3.37 in 304 minutes.

“It’s always easier to play with Mike because of the gravity he brings,” Clowney said. “You have to respect him. When Mike plays, the best defender is probably guarding Mike. Obviously, I think he’s a focal point. So he’s the focal point and I’m not a focal point. It’s a lot easier to get into the flow of the game and I think I’ve been able to flourish.”

Haywood Highsmith was shooting free throws during Nets practice on Tuesday, but there has been no health update on the 29-year-old forward as he recovers from surgery on his right knee following a meniscus tear.

In October he suffered a setback after suffering from swelling during rehabilitation.

“We like how he is developing, we just don’t have any updates,” Fernández said. “But he is doing very well.”