The front of their rookie jerseys may say “Brooklyn,” but it’s likely that Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead and Jalen Wilson will at some point change that cloth name plate to “Long Island.”
Their presence as well as that of Merrick, Long Island native and Egyptian national team power forward, Patrick Gardner, should make the Long Island Nets an interesting watch. Last year, under Ronnie Burrell, the young Nets ripped off straight wins on their way to the top seed in the East, led by David Duke Jr. This year, Burrell has been elevated to Brooklyn assistant coach and Nigerian national team coach Mfon Udofia has replaced him.