PHILADELPHIA — With all three big men down, the Nets gave young Noah Clowney the starting role at center Wednesday.
He struggled in his second year but wasn't good enough, losing 117-95 to Andre Drummond in the preseason.
“I think he didn't fight enough. It's obviously a great learning experience for everyone,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “There are obviously technical issues like how to get your opponent forward, how to push him out, etc. It’s definitely a challenge, but I would have liked to have seen a better fight.
“And it's not just Noah, it's everyone else. Let's go with Keon. [Johnson]Zier [Williams]Everyone, I'm a beginner. At some point, this is no longer about you. This is about us. And if we don't play hard as a team, we're not good enough. ”
Ben Simmons started the first two games with Nic Claxton and Dayron Sharpe, the only true big men on the roster, both out.
However, Sharp took a scheduled night off as the Nets adjusted for his return from surgery.
Clowney had 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
But Philadelphia moved the lanky sophomore off the block and into the paint. It was a tough lesson.
“Yeah. You have to grow from every game. Games can go one of two ways,” the 20-year-old Clowney said. “You've got to grow from there. If you don't grow from there, I can't believe it. … At this level, you either get better and learn from it or you go in a different direction.
“The size of the opponents we play is not what I'm concerned about how we played. I'm more concerned about making good decisions and leading the team. My discipline of being in the right position, making sure I know what the team is doing and when we're doing it when I'm in the backline, and just communicating better.”
Killian Hayes has missed all three preseason games due to hip soreness.
“I'd love to see him. He's fine. He's in rehab,” Fernandes said. “He’s just working on getting back and getting back on track, which he would love to do, but we’ll evaluate him when he comes back and see what we can do.
“We're not going to rush him because, like any player, his health is our top priority. So there's no need to take any risks. He's done a good job. I have a reputation and am very happy with him.”
The Nets haven't decided to fill the hole with an open two-way (backup center, backup point guard) or use it with the best player available.
“Yes, that will be a discussion between myself, but [general manager] Sean [Marks] And his team,” Fernandes said. “Once we're done with these games, we'll sit down and talk about how we feel. I like the guys we have here so far. And that's all I can say at the moment.”
