Reserve ahead Yuta Watanabe, who has been out with a proper hamstring pressure since Nov. 20, mentioned he feels “great” and is concentrating on one of many Nets’ two back-to-back video games this weekend: both Friday with Simmons in opposition to the Hawks or Saturday in Indiana in opposition to the Pacers.
Watanabe mentioned he’s been getting some photographs up and that he received extra work — “two-on-two, three-on-three, things like that” — in on Tuesday and felt good afterward.
”I wish to play these two video games, however we’ll see how I really feel after tomorrow morning,” he mentioned.
Head coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned there have been “no setbacks” with Watanabe’s hamstring and that he performed a half-court scrimmage with coaches and different gamers on Tuesday.
”That half regarded good, noticed him shoot the opposite day and it regarded good,” Vaughn mentioned. “So hopefully we get him in one of those games this weekend.”
Watanabe mentioned he felt the ache in his hamstring after the Nov. 20 matchup in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies. He mentioned he was doing decrease physique lifting after the sport when he “realized there was something going on.”
Like Ben Simmons, Watanabe’s harm got here as he peaked in efficiency. He had develop into a mainstay within the Nets’ rotation and hit his stride with six double-digit scoring performances in an eight-game stretch, together with 20 factors and 5 threes in opposition to the Trail Blazers.
”I assumed I used to be enjoying effectively. I used to be lastly getting some enjoying time so I used to be actually having fun with the second,” he mentioned. “It’s definitely frustrating but it’s part of basketball — and like I said, my leg is getting better now, so hopefully I can be on the court this weekend.”
Watanabe mentioned he cracked the Nets’ rotation by working arduous on his sport day by day.
”I suppose nobody anticipated it, even myself,” he mentioned. “In training camp, my goal was to make the team in the first place. And then I was gonna slowly gain the confidence and trust and get more playing time, but I wasn’t expecting to play this much.”
Watanabe is averaging 8.1 factors — almost double his common from any season prior — and is taking pictures the three at a staggering 57% clip. After bouncing across the NBA and the G-League, he’s joyful together with his scenario in Brooklyn
”I’m at all times joyful man, it doesn’t matter what, however undoubtedly enjoying some minutes, enjoying with some greats, it’s undoubtedly — I might say — the happiest second now,” he mentioned.
SUMNER UPDATE
Edmond Sumner has not but been cleared for Wednesday’s matchup in opposition to the Hornets. Sumner missed Sunday’s matchup in opposition to the Boston Celtics with a proper glute contusion. Vaughn mentioned Sumner will make a dedication primarily based on how he feels Wednesday morning.
”Tell him to cease falling on the bottom,” Vaughn joked after the Raptors sport. “Make the layup and stay on your feet.”
TOO MUCH TIME
Kevin Durant performed his second 40-minute sport of the season in opposition to the Celtics on Sunday.
”We don’t wish to play Kevin that quantity of minutes going ahead,” Vaughn mentioned.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com