It looks like the only thing Yuta Watanabe needed was an opportunity to prove his value as a legitimate NBA talent. After stops in Memphis & Toronto during his first four seasons, Watanabe was looking for a chance to play a solid role heading into Year 5. He ended up signing a non-guaranteed deal w/ the Nets - on paper, there were some concerns whether he’d be in line to play w/ superstar Kevin Durant occupying his position, along with the new acquisitions of both Royce O’Neale & TJ Warren.
Warren’s ongoing injury woes, coupled with very strong play during preseason, thrust Watanabe into a situation he’s now very comfortable in. In just over 18 minutes/night, Watanabe’s averaging a career-best 8.1 points/game while shooting an absurd 61% from the field & 57!!% from deep. His lefty jumper has proven money from the corner & he’s mixing in more movement towards the rim without the ball, creating easy scoring opportunities for himself when teams double either KD or Kyrie Irving.
The ironic part is Watanabe’s defense got him utility minutes in both Memphis & Toronto - now, he’s added an undeniable offensive weapon (outside shooting), combined with continued activity on D (great hands, walls off opponents/holds his ground well), making it impossible to keep him off the floor.
As often is the case with most undrafted players, it’s not quite a matter of if you have the talent to breakthrough. A lot of players already have guaranteed contracts, your coach could favor someone with more tenure, recent draft picks/free agents could be clinging onto spots, etc.
Sometimes, it just takes the right role & situation to prove your worth. For Watanabe, he’s learned how to impose his game and is setting up long-term status as a very productive player in the Association.