Yuta Watanabe happy with connection to Kevin Durant, Damion Lee on Phoenix Suns
Yuta Watanabe became one of the NBA's best 3-point shooters on the Brooklyn Nets last season, hitting career-bests 44.4% on 2.3 attempt per game.
The 6-foot-8 lefty proved in the Phoenix Suns' preseason-opening 130-126 overtime win at the Detroit Pistons on Sunday that he contributes more than just spot-up triples.
Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said in the postgame Watanabe (10 points, 4-of-9 shooting with two 3s, five rebounds, two steals, one assist, team-high 30 minutes) "gave us a good lift in overtime."
After Phoenix sat its starters after halftime, the team's bench led by Grayson Allen (team-high 18 points), Chimezie Metu (14 points), Saben Lee (11 points, four assists), and Watanabe blew Phoenix's 20-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
Watanabe helped seal the victory with key stops in overtime. He intercepted a pass from Detroit's Jared Rhoden then nailed a floater in Phoenix's ensuing possession to push its lead to four at three minutes left to play. He snared his third defensive rebound from Stanley Umude's 3 attempt at a minute remaining, then grabbed the game's final board off two straight missed FTs from Detroit's Zavier Simpson at 3.6 to go.
"I feel very confident in myself," Watanabe said after the win. "It feels like I've gained a lot of strength. I've learned how to exert energy while remaining under control."
Even though it's just an exhibition game, Watanabe's performance exhibiting himself as a part-facilitator, part-slasher, 3-point threat, and tough defender justified why Kevin Durant said he was "very excited" upon the news that Watanabe rejoined him in Phoenix. They played together in Brooklyn last season before Durant was traded in February.
Watanabe signed a two-year veteran minimum deal with a player option with Phoenix in July.
"Such a bright basketball player. Feel like he's always in the right spot," Durant said. "He plays extremely hard on the defensive side of the ball as well and then on top of that, his jump shot is getting better and better each year."
Watanabe averaged 5.6 points on 49% shooting and 2.4 rebounds in 16 minutes per contest last season. His scoring averages have improved since his 2018-19 rookie season that began at 2.6 points in Memphis, then Toronto two years later.
Phoenix has 13 new players on its roster since last season, so chemistry and previous connections will matter in the team's success, especially with their stars Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Durant.
“All of our guys are gonna have to execute the system. He’s a guy that obviously the first thing you think about is gonna be the 3-point shooting that he brings as those guys create and draw double-teams, his ability to punish on the backside," Vogel said of Watanabe at practice last week.
"But he’s really gonna compete on the defensive side of the ball, execute all the winning fundamentals like sprinting back in transition, boxing out, off-ball spacing. All those types of things are gonna be important to him and we expect him to be a big contributor for us.”
Watanabe said during Phoenix's Media Day on Oct. 2 that Durant was "definitely one of the reasons" for signing with the team, was "sad" when Durant was sent to Phoenix because they have "good chemistry."
Watanabe benefited from Durant's penetration, especially in the corner. He drilled 52% of his corner 3 attempts, putting him among the best in the 99th percentile from that area, per Cleaning The Glass.
“We got Book, we got Brad (Beal), we got KD. They can score anytime they want. Just me being out there being the 3-point threat, I think that can help them to play their game even more," Watanabe said at Media Day. "Obviously, a team is going to double-team them or throw a lot of different defensive stuff on them, so here I can make those open shots like I did last year in Brooklyn.”
Watanabe, Lee from same prep powerhouse
Watanabe has built some success in his five pro years. This past summer, he helped Japan to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics at the FIBA World Cup.
But his basketball career began to take shape at prep powerhouse Saint Thomas More (Oakdale, Conn.) in 2013. That's the same school that Watanabe's new teammate Damion Lee helped lead to the prep national title two years prior. Lee was one of the Suns' reliable shooters from deep last season.
St. Thomas More has produced four notable NBA players in the past decade in Lee, Watanabe, former All-Star and Chicago Bulls big Andre Drummond, and Eric Paschall.
The school enrolls many Japanese and international exchange students and basketball players to its program. Its 45-year coach Jere Quinn told The Republic that he told Lee and Watanabe that they were both capable of playing in the NBA, even when Watanabe wasn't confident enough to believe him, he said.
Quinn called Yuta's physique "aesthetically pleasing" for his long 6-10 wingspan, also citing his speed, stellar passing ability and sound fundamentals after he arrived at St. Thomas More.
“All the Japanese kids that we’ve had, they’re just so in awe of American players, and a ton (of times) I said, ‘Yuta, you’re as good as anybody in his gym and any gym I’ve been in.’ He needs to believe in that because Japanese culture is all about team," Quinn said.
Lee was ruled out indefinitely with a right meniscus injury on Oct. 1. His 44.5% average from the 3 was third in the league last season, a small notch above Watanabe's clip.
“We didn’t play at the same time at St. Thomas More but we always talk about it," Watanabe said. "We always talk about Coach Jere Quinn. He’s a great coach, great guy. He always shows us support. He came to my game a few times last year.
"It’s really unfortunate that D-Lee got injured and he’s gonna be out for a while, but we both came from the same school and playing together for the Phoenix Suns, that means a lot to us. I hope that he can recover soon so that we can be on the court together and make a lot of 3s together.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns' Watanabe reconnects with Durant from Nets, Lee from prep school
