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| Image Source: The Japan Times |
It seemed like it was only yesterday that Yuta Watanabe was on top of the world as the NBA player who had a ridiculous shooting percentage beyond the three-point line. His season with the Brooklyn Nets was nothing short of remarkable. His teammates trusted him with the ball and they could rely on him to make the shot. It was November to remember.
Later in the season though, he became passive, giving up open shots to pass to teammates. I sometimes pulled my hair when I saw that. In other words, Yuta was too busy trying to be a team player rather than showing off to the coach. Because of this, it was understandable why his coach eventually sidelined him for the new additions to the team.
I don't remember Yuta taking more than 15 attempts to shoot the ball in recent memory. There might have been a time, but I don't recall it. He did score 26 points with the Raptors on December 26, 2021, but he also had 20 field goal attempts, shooting 55% from the field, making 11 of them. That's better than the league average of 46% in the 2021-2022 season. If he wasn't so passive, he could have been great.
Yuta's unselfishness is duly noted. And, yes you can be unselfish on the floor, but there's such a thing as being too unselfish. Stars take a lot of chances and in a way have to be selfish. But, Yuta never learned to be selfish. Because of this, he is no longer in the NBA.
Yuta Watanabe signed with the Phoenix Suns for the 2023-2024 season, then was traded back to the Memphis Grizzlies on February 8, 2024. At the end of the season, he announced his intention to retire from the NBA to play overseas in Japan.