The Toronto Raptors have pulled off a 6-5 start to the season, are generally playing solid basketball on both ends of the court, and look like a team on the rise. Even after losing fan favorites from last year, Yuta Watanabe among them, Toronto is finding a way to be effective.
The picture is pretty much the opposite when it comes to the Brooklyn Nets. They seem to be engulfed in complete chaos, both on and off the court. They are sitting at 4-7 right now, though bigger problems might lie off the court.
Kyrie Irving continues to jump from one controversy to another, as he has been suspended for at least five games by the franchise. On the other hand, the Nets are believed to be considering hiring Ime Udoka, who himself was suspended for a year by the Boston Celtics for his off-court antics.
Amidst all this, one player who is shining right now is Watanabe. The Japanese stud has played a key role for the Nets off the bench in recent games, and it is no coincidence that that has coincided with an upturn in form that saw them win three games out of four despite the Irving suspension.
This is a @wacchi1013 appreciation post pic.twitter.com/DorUO2krlf
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 6, 2022
Toronto Raptors fans will love Yuta Watanabe starring for Nets
Watanabe might have never been much more than a role player for the Raptors, but he was a very popular figure. He was admired for his good defense and unquestionable work ethic during his two seasons with the franchise.
It is great to see him doing so well with the Nets, so much so that one might even question if the Raptors made the wrong decision by not bringing him back.
He did not feature much in the first four games of the season, but since then, he has regularly gotten 20 minutes or more off the bench.
His contribution has been solid, as Watanabe is averaging 5.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 16 minutes of action per game. His efficiency has been brilliant as well, as the Japanese star is making 59.5% of his field goal attempts and shooting an excellent 54.5% from beyond the arc.
.@wacchi1013 on cleanup duty pic.twitter.com/tKQjhFhdCu
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 2, 2022
He has also made at least one three every time he has played more than 10 minutes this season.
Watanabe may never be a star in this league due to his age and athletic limitations, but what has become very clear in the last few years is the fact that he is a quality NBA role player with a very bright future in this league.