Nets' Noah Clowney explains mindset this season amidst five rookies

· Yahoo Sports

Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney had something to prove heading into his third season in the NBA and he showed some strides during an injury-plagued sophomore season last year. Clowney was going to share the floor with more talented players after Brooklyn traded for forward Michael Porter Jr. and veteran forward Terance Mann, but he also had to adjust playing with as many as five rookies in the rotation.

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"At times this year, I'd be frustrated because we lose, and I had to shift my perspective from... But like team success and my success, I had to separate them," Clowney said during a recent appearance on "The Old Man And The Three" podcast. Clowney touched on a topic that he has mentioned to the media before, but he expanded on how he had to change his mindset so that he could be more consistent on a game-by-game basis.

"I'm all in to try to help us win every time on the court. But, I'm also looking for, did I get better this game? Did I get better last game," Clowney continued. "The reality is, and I don't mean this to be offend nobody, but [when] we drafted five rookies, we kind of knew it's gonna be a tough adjustment. Y'all [are] getting real reps."

Clowney, 21, is having by far his best season in the league this season as he's averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists per game while shooting 39.2% from the field and 32.2% from three-point land. Despite Clowney having a rough start to this season due to how the team has had to adjust to drafting five rookies, he found his stride from November to December as he showed his ability to flourish next to Porter and center Nic Claxton.

From the time Clowney entered the starting lineup on Nov. 3 to the end of December, he averaged 15.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 41.9% from the field and 35.8% from three-point land. Clowney now shares the starting lineup with Porter and Claxton along with rookies in Nolan Traore and Egor Demin, but it seems like he has found his groove playing alongside the veterans and the younger players.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Noah Clowney explains mindset this season amidst five rookies

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