Nets sign first-round pick Clowney

Top Bucks, 92-71, during Summer League action in Vegas

July 12, 2023 John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

First-round pick Noah Clowney inked a multi-year deal with the Nets on Tuesday before helping them past Cleveland in Summer League action. AP Photo by Mary Altaffer

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Noah Clowney scored six points, grabbed six rebounds, picked up three steals, handed out an assist and blocked a shot in 26 minutes of Summer League action Tuesday evening in Las Vegas.

But that was only after the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick in last month’s NBA Draft officially signed a contract with the franchise.

Clowney, the 21st overall selection at Downtown’s Barclays Center on June 22, inked a multi-year deal, according to a team-issued release earlier Tuesday.

Per team policy, terms of the pact were not released.

The 6-foot-10 University of Alabama alum helped Brooklyn to a 92-71 rout of Cleveland at Cox Pavillion in Sin City after suffering through a 1-for-9 shooting effort in his Summer League debut last Friday vs. the Cavaliers.

“I loved his activity,” Nets Summer League coach Trevor Hendry said of Clowney following the opening-game loss.

“I loved the fact that he went 1-of-9 from the field, and he kept shooting. He never shied away from taking the next shot, and I think a lot of guys his age wouldn’t do that. They would, ‘Nah, I missed four in a row. I’m not going to shoot the fifth one.’ I loved that from him.”

Clowney has gone 4-for-9 from the floor since, including 2-of-3 Tuesday, when he also drained both of his free throws.

David Duke Jr., led the Nets’ assault on the Cavaliers with 24 points as Brooklyn pulled away for good by drubbing Cleveland, 35-9, in the third quarter.

Kennedy Chandler added 17 points and Jalen Wilson, the 51st pick by Brooklyn in last month’s draft, finished with 14 points for the Nets (2-1), who will take on Toronto Thursday.

Armoni Brooks and Matt Lewis had 13 points apiece for Brooklyn, which has also signed draft picks Dariq Whitehead and Wilson over the past week while inking free-agent guards Dennis Smith Jr., and Lonnie Walker 1V.

Clowney averaged 9.8 points on 48.6 percent shooting and 7.9 rebounds per game in 36 starts for the Crimson Tide in his lone season down in Tuscaloosa.

The 18-year-old helped lead the Crimson Tide to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where he averaged 6.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals over 22.7 minutes per contest in three games.

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New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will try to defend her Skills Challenge title at All-Star weekend in Las Vegas. AP Photo by Lindsey Wasson

The Liberty will have their All-Star backcourt, Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot, on display in Vegas during Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game in Vegas alongside Team Captain Breanna Stewart, a front-runner for Most Valuable Player honors this year.

On Tuesday, the league announced that Ionescu and Vandersloot will also represent Downtown Brooklyn in Friday’s 2023 Kia WNBA Skills Challenge at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Ionescu, a second-time All-Star, is the skills challenge’s reigning champion and the only WNBA player currently averaging at least 15 points, five assists and five rebounds.

Vandersloot, the WNBA leader with 8.5 assists per game this season and the league’s all-time leader in that category, will be making her third straight All-Star Weekend appearance.

The tandem will compete as partners Friday, taking on opposing pairs of All-Stars from the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, and Dallas Wings.

Liberty point guard Courtney Vandersloot will be paired with Sabrina Ionescu in Las Vegas for Friday night’s Skills Challenge at All-Star Weekend. AP Photo by Lindsey Wasson

The Liberty (13-4), who will be back at Barclays Center on July 19 vs. Dallas, have won three in a row and seven of their last eight contests, moving them percentage points ahead of Connecticut for the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

The All-Star Game will air Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.