Within the structural whirlwind that makes up the Brooklyn Nets today, we also find green shoots that invite optimism. The franchise has regained some ground in the Eastern Conference after beating the Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies in their last two games.
While it’s Kevin Durant who continues to pull the strings when it comes to scoring and offensive leadership, the Nets have found a solid on-court complement in Yuta Watanabe. In these two games, the Japanese player has contributed 16 and 20 points, respectively, being especially lethal from long distance. In fact, Watanabe currently leads the NBA in 3-point success rate (57.1%) among all those players with a minimum of two attempts per game.
In this way, his recent performance has aroused praise from Durant himself. “He is playing very well. We love his energy, “said the forward, according to the media. The Athletic. “He is scoring important shots for us. You always take pride in your teammates, especially the guys who come in and don’t necessarily have a guaranteed spot on the team, and still work their way through the rotation and make their mark from day one.”
Indeed, Watanabe landed in the Nets at the end of August under a non-guaranteed agreement for one year and 1.9 million dollars, which put in doubt, even, that he could take one of the final holes in the roster. Completed the first month of normal season, the position of the management and the coaching staff is very different now, since the player could be rewarded with a contract for several seasons if he maintains his current level. In 18.2 minutes per game, the power forward is averaging 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds.
(Cover photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
