What does Trendon Watford bring to the Brooklyn Nets?
The Brooklyn Nets announced on Thursday that they signed free-agent forward Trendon Watford to a standard non-guaranteed NBA contract. Watford is now one of a few free-agent signings that Brooklyn has made as it looks to make it to the playoffs next season and try to get out of the first round.
Watford will most likely come to the Nets as a forward that can be a backup to whoever starts at power forward and to starter Nic Claxton. At one point, Brooklyn seemed to lack depth in the frontcourt but now, they can choose between Day’Ron Sharpe, Darius Bazley, and Watford for bigs to get playing time when Claxton is not on the floor.
Watford, 22, has spent his first two seasons in the NBA playing for the Portland Trail Blazers and has had moments where he looked impressive as a big coming off the bench for them in spots. Here’s what he can bring to the Nets:
Positional Versatility
Part of Watford’s value is his versatility on the offensive end as he can effectively play power forward and center depending on the lineup construction. Where Watford has thrived in his short time in the NBA is usually as a center in a smaller lineup where he can use his ball-handling and perimeter skills to beat his man to the rim or set up a teammate for an easy basket.
Shooting
While Watford will be spending most of his time playing power forward and center, he could be useful for the Nets from behind the three-point line. After shooting just 23.7% from three-point land on 0.8 attempts per game in 2021-22, Watford shot an impressive 39.1% from deep on 1.0 attempts per game last season to show how much he has improved his touch from that range. He is not a high-volume three-point shooter, but it looks like he could take advantage of being the trailer in the fastbreak or be one of the players that utilizes the pick-and-pop in Brooklyn’s offense.
Passing
For his career, Watford is averaging 1.9 assists per game and when you watch his tape, you can see why. He looks to be his most comfortable on the perimeter either engaging in the pick-and-roll or getting the ball and trying to drive past his man to get to the basket. Part of his value is what he can do as a passer especially in the pick-and-roll and that could benefit someone like Spencer Dinwiddie or Ben Simmons that wants to get to the rim.
