Rookie Yuta Watanabe has exhibited veteran poise throughout his first season as a pro basketball player.
With a two-way contract that splits his time between the NBA¡¯s Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League, there¡¯s been no shortage of opportunities for the Kagawa Prefecture native to test his skills against talented teammates and foes.
The 206-cm Watanabe is having a productive season for the Hustle, appearing in 21 of the squad¡¯s first 32 games through Wednesday. He¡¯s also seen limited court time in eight NBA games for the Grizzlies.
In the Hustle¡¯s Wednesday clash with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Watanabe delivered the type of performance that the Grizzlies organization has come to expect from him in the G League: 18 points (a team-high total), 3-for-5 on 3-pointers, five rebounds, three assists and a block. The Hustle (17-15) lost 110-91, but Watanabe made a big impact.
On Jan. 25, Watanabe paced the Hustle with 23 points and added seven rebounds and two blocks in a 108-97 road defeat to the Westchester Knicks.
Watanabe is averaging 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 assists for the Hustle. He¡¯s started all 21 games that he¡¯s played in the G League, averaging 34.1 minutes per contest. His versatility at both ends of the floor, including 3-point shooting, has been solid along with his high-energy play.
In addition, the George Washington University product is attempting 11.4 shots from the field per game for the Hustle, a sign of his active involvement on offense and the team¡¯s trust in him to make shots.
In an interview with The Washington Post last summer, Watanabe informed the world that he¡¯s serious about his desire to become a well-regarded pro.
¡°I just want to keep working hard,¡± Watanabe was quoted as saying during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. ¡°I just want to keep improving myself. And I just want to prove people that I can play in the real game.¡±
In an interview posted on the Hustle¡¯s YouTube channel in November, Watanabe reiterated the point that working hard is his primary focus.
¡°If I hustle, I can get more reps,¡± Watanabe said.
He added: ¡°The reps help me, like, develop my confidence and skill level and basically everything.¡±
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