Noah

Clowney

The Nets will finish the season without their starting frontcourt, as Clowney and Claxton remain out. E.J. Liddell and Trevon Scott started Friday’s loss to the Bucks and should do the same on Sunday, with the latter logging 41 minutes.

The Nets will be without most of their usual starters and key reserves. so Brooklyn will have to go deep down the bench to find available options at power forward and center. E.J. Liddell and Chaney Johnson could be the next men up in the rotation.

Clowney’s absence on Thursday will mark his third straight, as the Nets’ 2025-26 season nears its conclusion. The third-year forward is having a career-best season in terms of scoring, rebounding, and passing, while serving as mostly a full-time starter. While sidelined, E.J. Liddell could continue to log heavy minutes.

Clowney will remain out for a second straight game with this ankle injury. E.J. Liddell should get another start after he scored 15 points in 30 minutes against the Wizards on Sunday.

Initially questionable, Clowney is out for the Nets’ final game of Week 23. With Nic Claxton also out, Chaney Johnson, Josh Minott and E.J. Liddell should play plenty due to the Nets’ lack of healthy options in the frontcourt.

Clowney has been dealing with a sore left ankle for a little while now, but his Friday night was cut short due to a third-quarter ejection. With Nic Claxton (hand) already out, Clowney would figure prominently in the starting lineup, even if his minutes are limited.

Clowney got into it with Atlanta’s Mouhamed Gueye just over halfway through the third quarter. And the Nets forward kept going after officials separated the players, resulting in a second technical foul. Clowney finished with 12 points (4-of-7 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Josh Minott should play more minutes for the remainder of Friday’s game.

To no one’s surprise, Claxton and Clowney have been upgraded to available after getting a probable designation on Thursday. Expect the pair to handle their normal workloads against Atlanta.

While Claxton and Clowney are on the Nets’ initial injury report for Friday, both are considered probable. With Danny Wolf (ankle) still out, Brooklyn would likely rely on players such as Chaney Johnson, Josh Minott and even E.J. Liddell if their two starters are unable to go. And which reserve forwards play solid minutes has seemingly changed from game to game, making Minott and Johnson challenging players to trust in most leagues.

Lines like the one Clowney recorded on Sunday will satisfy most fantasy managers, outside of the free-throw percentage. However, while the third-year forward/center finished with a complete stat line, he only played 20 minutes. That workload limits Clowney’s upside and may cause some concern among fantasy managers despite the Nets playing three games in Week 23.