Nets rookies Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead get taste of Brooklyn with fan meet-and-greet
Nets rookies Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead speak during a fan event on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023 at Barclays Center Credit: Newsday / Evan Barnes
It’s safe to assume the Nets’ rookies are adjusting well to Brooklyn. Earlier this month, Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead and Jalen Wilson sat courtside together at a Liberty game.
On Sunday, Clowney and Whitehead greeted Nets fans for the first time at a plaza party outside Barclays Center. The party was thrown to celebrate the release of the Nets’ regular-season schedule Thursday.
As a DJ spun various songs, the two first-round picks posed for pictures and enjoyed a glimpse of what to expect for their first season.
“Because it’s a Sunday afternoon, it’s more people than I expected,” Clowney said. “Me personally, I wouldn’t be out on Sunday. But it was enjoyable. A lot of fans, lot of different types of fans.”
“I encountered a lot of people who said they’ve been Nets fans for over 20-plus years,” Whitehead added. “That’s a great feeling when you know you got a strong fan base behind you like that.”
Whitehead also updated his progress after foot surgery before the draft. He wasn’t wearing a walking boot on his right foot after wearing it as recently as July during NBA Summer League play in Las Vegas.
The 19-year-old had surgery last August to repair a foot fracture that caused him to miss two weeks of his freshman season at Duke. Because the injury didn’t heal properly, he had a follow-up surgery during the pre-draft process.
“Rehab’s going great. Foot’s feeling good,” Whitehead said. “Definitely not trying to give it a definite timetable right now. Just trying to take it day by day, but everything’s feeling good and just looking to approaching the season and getting back to 100%.”
Although he didn’t play in the Summer League, Whitehead took notes on the quicker decision-making needed on the floor. He also heard frequently from coach Jacque Vaughn to stay patient and trust that his career is a marathon, not a sprint.
It’s helped him relax during rehab. Whether or not he’s healthy when training camp starts in October, Whitehead is grateful that the organization has reminded him to think ahead if he feels antsy being limited.
“It’s just knowing I got to be patient and take my time,” Whitehead said. “Hearing that come from him, it makes it a little more assuring that all right, [to] just take my time, get back to where I need to be and everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.''
Clowney took his lessons from Las Vegas in stride. It was a tough introduction, especially on the offensive end, but there was progress in learning to be a better rim protector and rebounder.
His first taste of being a professional made him eager to work harder instead of dwell on the negatives.
“I think the only way you can learn from it is by going through the experience of that Summer League, so I’m glad I played in it,” Clowney said. “It was fun. I didn’t play my best, obviously, [shooting] percentages were horrible, but it was a learning experience. I feel like that’s what it was supposed to be.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
