Nets’ big lineup could be a key in rebuilding season

The Nets are starting to spot really their young pieces fit, and 1 peculiar early-season research is paying dividends. 

The Nets person tinkered pinch a large lineup that includes Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams and Noah Clowney, and successful Sunday night’s triumph against nan Bucks, they sewage much retired of it than they had successful nan first 2 losses. 

In nan Nets location opener, they played a full of 16.1 minutes together for a positive 18 in nan 115-106 victory. 

They besides clasp a plus-24.3 nett standing — nan champion for immoderate three-man Nets portion that has logged astatine slightest 36 minutes together. 

Coming disconnected nan chair for nan 3rd consecutive crippled aft nan halfway suffered a hamstring wounded that costs him nan full preseason, Claxton had to woody pinch two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

But nan 6-foot-11 center, who had a double-double pinch 10 points and 11 rebounds, had nan thief of 2 6-foot-9 young forwards Sunday. 

“It’s awesome because Noah was committed to sprout nan 3. Ziaire will fto it fly. And if you look astatine those 3 guys it’s for illustration a batch of length, size,” caput coach Jordi Fernandez said aft nan win. “We’ve been talking astir really mini we’ve been, but correct now, you spot those 3 guys connected nan tribunal and you’re like, wow, there’s nary room. They’re flying around. Their effort has been amazing. They’re long, truthful very, very happy to spot those guys moving good together and doing nan correct things for nan team.” 

Williams recorded 7 points, 4 rebounds and a cardinal artifact connected Pat Connaughton’s layup effort astatine nan commencement of nan 4th fourth pinch nan Nets nursing an 83-78 lead. 

He later grabbed a protect rebound that led to a layup from Clowney, who had 13 points and 4 rebounds, to return an 87-81 lead. 

The trio accounted for 30 of nan Nets’ points and 19 of their 47 rebounds to combat Antetokounmpo and halfway Brooks Lopez. 

It’s a lineup that will beryllium worthy keeping an oculus connected for nan Nets, arsenic they look to make decisions astir what is moving and who is worthy keeping successful their rebuilding season. 

The younker of nan lineup is applicable arsenic well. Clowney, nan Nets’ first-round prime (21st overall) successful 2023, is conscionable 20 and successful his 2nd twelvemonth successful nan league. 

The erstwhile Stanford subordinate gave glimpses of what he tin offer astatine nan extremity of past season, including putting up 3 games of 15 aliases much points to springiness nan Nets dream for their early contempt finishing 32-50 and missing nan playoffs. 

The Nets exercised nan third-year squad action for nan 2025-26 play connected Clowney on pinch Dariq Whitehead connected Monday, meaning they person nan correct to support some players for a 4th play connected their respective contracts. 

Williams, 23, is simply a project nan Nets dream to create after 3 grounded seasons pinch nan Grizzlies. The 2021 No. 10 wide prime is earning $6.1 cardinal successful nan last twelvemonth of his rookie statement done nan 2024-25 season. 

Claxton, 25, will beryllium astir agelong word to help nan Nets create nan younger players aft he inked a four-year, $97 cardinal hold successful nan offseason. 

Will Fernandez and nan Nets beryllium capable to unlock capable successful nan 2 forwards to support them around? 

Claxton seems to deliberation truthful arsenic nan grouping of nan 3 is conscionable successful its infancy, and whitethorn beryllium utilized arsenic often against nan Nuggets connected Tuesday nighttime against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. 

“I didn’t get galore reps pinch Ziaire and Noah, for illustration training campy [and] preseason, truthful I’m still getting nan consciousness for everything,” Claxton said Sunday. “Then still maine and Noah, we [are] still figuring worldly retired connected some sides of nan ball, but it’s decidedly a lot, a batch of upside pinch america connected nan protect side. And then, you know, we tin besides make immoderate bully things hap connected nan violative extremity arsenic well.”