3 goals for Nets’ Trendon Watford heading into training camp
Brooklyn Nets big man Trendon Watford has been an interesting prospect over his first two seasons in the league as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. Most of his games in the NBA have been as a big man off the bench since Portland still had starting center Jusuf Nurkic in the lineup.
Despite Watford showing some promise over the past two years, Portland waived him this summer. However, since Portland moved on from him, that gave Brooklyn the chance to sign him to give him the opportunity to show what he can do for a team that is rebuilding, but also trying to win.
At this point, Watford will be competing for playing time in the frontcourt since it appears that Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe will start off the season as the starting center and backup center, respectively. Here are three goals for Watford if he wants to earn more time on the floor:
Focus On Rebounding
One of the areas that the Nets struggled in was rebounding on both ends of the floor. It seems that Brooklyn used this offseason to address that issues by signing players like Watford who can make an impact in the frontcourt.
While Watford has some perimeter skills, if he wants to crack the rotation and get some consistent minutes, he will have to help out in the rebounding department. It could be his fastest way to being one of the big men who sees the floor outside of the current projected rotation.
Continue To Shoot Well From Three-Point Land
One of the improvements that Watford made last season was shooting from behind the three-point line. Adding that element to his game can make him a harder player to guard and also allows him to fit into multiple lineups.
Watford’s ability to shoot from deep, assuming that continues, gives him a leg up on other players who may struggle to shoot from that range. Brooklyn has some non-shooters in its rotation so Watford being able to shoot the three effectively could separate him from the other non-shooting bigs.
Improve Consistency On The Defensive End
Even though Brooklyn has changed a lot since last season, one thing that will be constant will be the defensive end. If the Nets want to make anything out of this season, they will have to commit to being a defensive team first to make up for the lost of shooting/scoring.
If Watford can come to the team and be a plus-defender, that could go a long way towards getting him consistent playing time. Brooklyn is full of wings who can defend and if Watford can hold his own, he may be called upon for important minutes throughout this season.
