With their frontcourt decimated, the Nets handed Noah Clowney his first profession start.
It was a tricky lesson for the teenage rookie.
Clowney had seven points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s loss to the Kings but finished a minus-26 and got muscled around all evening.
“I feel we began off horrible,” Clowney told The Post. “But to be honest, starting or coming off the bench is identical thing. You desire to come and convey energy from the second you’re on the court.”
He needed to take care of Sacramento star Damontas Sabonis, who had 18 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists, just missing adding one other triple-double to his league-leading 26.
“He’s just gotta be in it, ? This is nice for him,” interim coach Kevin Ollie said. “He’s gotta be in it and experience it, learn from it, just so long as you don’t quit in it, and he’s not gonna quit in it. These guys have been around — Sabonis is an All-Star — so hopefully he watches the tape and possibly gets something from Sabonis to bring it in his game, go lift some weights, all that stuff.
“So that is an ideal moment for him. He’s not gonna hang his head and get discouraged from it; he’s actually recovering from this. So, I’m glad we have now these opportunities for these young guys to get on the market and get some meaningful minutes against All-Star caliber players.”
Clowney, 19, joined Jarrett Allen, Derrick Favors and Cliff T. Robinson as teenagers to start out a game for the Nets.
Seven teens have played for the franchise in all.
Fellow rookie Jalen Wilson also got his third profession start, after each he and Clowney had played well an evening earlier of their come-from-behind win over Detroit.
He had 11 points and 6 boards.
With starting center Nic Claxton and forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson all out, the move made sense.
However it was notable that Ollie opted for him at center over Day’Ron Sharpe.
“Just be a star in his role. Sometimes that changes. His job is to proceed to make me wish to play him, and that’s like anything,” Ollie said. “So he needs to simply proceed to remain ready and he’s doing that. He’s been a consummate skilled, coming in, getting his work, getting his vitamin work in and staying ready. So I do know when he gets his name called and plays prolonged minutes, he’ll be ready.”
Dennis Smith Jr. (right hip synovitis), Claxton (left ankle sprain), Finney-Smith (left knee effusion) and Johnson (left big toe sprain) were all out.
