Welcome Yuta Watanabe (Guard)

[elindholm]

probably due to Cam Johnson, i mean its simple math

The simple math is that he's almost 29 years old, has been in the league five years, and has never averaged better than 16 minutes per game. I think the Suns have gotten some steals in this free-agency period, but he isn't one of them.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Watching a lefty with his form thim this year is going to hit a bit different.

 

[Carolinacacti]

Watching a lefty with his form thim this year is going to hit a bit different.

That's the biggest difference between him and Cam

 

[Goldfield]

Thread title says guard. I see him listed as a back up PF. So what position does he play.’he looks like a wing to me.

 

[Mainstreet]

Thread title says guard. I see him listed as a back up PF. So what position does he play.’he looks like a wing to me.

I'd say small forward but he could play some stretch 4.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Thread title says guard. I see him listed as a back up PF. So what position does he play.’he looks like a wing to me.

He's 6'9", he will certainly play more of a SF role.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The simple math is that he's almost 29 years old, has been in the league five years, and has never averaged better than 16 minutes per game. I think the Suns have gotten some steals in this free-agency period, but he isn't one of them.

With ya here.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Need 3 pt deadly shooters like warriors etc to win a title in most situations

This is a awesome signing hope he hits a ton of corner treys for the suns

 

[Proximo]

The simple math is that he's almost 29 years old, has been in the league five years, and has never averaged better than 16 minutes per game. I think the Suns have gotten some steals in this free-agency period, but he isn't one of them.

Fans of the teams he has played for all seem to be saying he was underutilized.

i have a real good feeling he is going to be very useful.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Fans of the teams he has played for all seem to be saying he was underutilized.

i have a real good feeling he is going to be very useful.

From everything I have heard he is a great shooter (obviously), is a solid defender and he is non stop effort and hustle. There is certainly a use for a player like that on any team even if for only 15-20 minutes per game.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

The simple math is that he's almost 29 years old, has been in the league five years, and has never averaged better than 16 minutes per game. I think the Suns have gotten some steals in this free-agency period, but he isn't one of them.

IMO he is a pure complimentary player. He is not a guy that you rely on to create things, but is a great fit next to great players. He plays with a ton of effort, has good size and length and makes damn near 50% of his wide open threes. He should absolutely find a role on this team.

 

[jf-08]

IMO he is a pure complimentary player. He is not a guy that you rely on to create things, but is a great fit next to great players. He plays with a ton of effort, has good size and length and makes damn near 50% of his wide open threes. He should absolutely find a role on this team.

What we need is a guy to occasionally drain some threes and loosen up the double coverages on our big three. Hopefully he can hit some and fit that bill along with some other guys.

We don't need a star. We need somebody to protect our stars.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

I think this was a moneyball signing

 

[Muggz]

That's the deal. He is a poor man's cam Johnson.

"A poor mans Cam Johnson is a million times better than a rich mans Shamet."
Confucius.

 

[Covert Rain]

The simple math is that he's almost 29 years old, has been in the league five years, and has never averaged better than 16 minutes per game. I think the Suns have gotten some steals in this free-agency period, but he isn't one of them.

Depends on your expectations. For a veterans minimum contract, getting one of the best 3 point shooters to fill out your bench? Sounds like a steal to me.

 

[Proximo]

Depends on your expectations. For a veterans minimum contract, getting one of the best 3 point shooters to fill out your bench? Sounds like a steal to me.

Exactly.

I think the Suns did almost the best they possibly could with just minimum contracts to give out. Apparently that is not good enough for a lot of people.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Exactly.

I think the Suns did almost the best they possibly could with just minimum contracts to give out. Apparently that is not good enough for a lot of people.

It's a lot better than I am sure a lot of us expected. We kept a couple good rotational pieces and brought in 3-4 guys that are likely to be good rotational pieces as well. Most of which compliment our big 3 quite nicely as well.

 

[JCSunsfan]

He's 6'9", he will certainly play more of a SF role.

? 6-9 is pretty standard for pf.

However, there is nothing standard about KD. He will play forward opposite KD, whatever you might call that. This team looks like it will be going old school--where you have just guards forwards and centers.

 

[JCSunsfan]

From everything I have heard he is a great shooter (obviously), is a solid defender and he is non stop effort and hustle. There is certainly a use for a player like that on any team even if for only 15-20 minutes per game.

He is a 50+% shooter from the corner. That is the role he will play on offense and it will be beautiful. By the way, he shot 77% from three at the top of the circle, which is astounding. His weak spot shooting is from the angles. I am not sure about his defense, although I hear he is an extremely hard worker on D, but he definitely fits the "3" part of 3 and D.

Watanabe 2022/2023 Shot Chart | StatMuse

Yuta Watanabe shot 49.1% (114/232) overall and 44.4% (60/135) from three in 57 games in 2022-23. (Shot Chart)

www.statmuse.com

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

He is a 50+% shooter from the corner. That is the role he will play on offense and it will be beautiful. By the way, he shot 77% from three at the top of the circle, which is astounding. His weak spot shooting is from the angles. I am not sure about his defense, although I hear he is an extremely hard worker on D, but he definitely fits the "3" part of 3 and D.

Watanabe 2022/2023 Shot Chart | StatMuse

Yuta Watanabe shot 49.1% (114/232) overall and 44.4% (60/135) from three in 57 games in 2022-23. (Shot Chart)

www.statmuse.com

He was the DPOY in his conference in college and has displayed some very good defense at the NBA level as well. He may not be the most athletic guy and that could limit his defense against some of the quicker players, but he can certainly hold his own against a lot of the NBA.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Can hear Gambo now.

"Yuta the shootah"

 

[Yuma]

? 6-9 is pretty standard for pf.

However, there is nothing standard about KD. He will play forward opposite KD, whatever you might call that. This team looks like it will be going old school--where you have just guards forwards and centers.

IDK if they call it old school. They call it rotational basketball. They want tall guys with long arms that can switch on defense without having a weakness other teams can exploit. I know we want Ayton to be a banger on defense, which he's not, but he does have excellent footwork. When he is trying, guys rarely get around him from the perimeter. So we can now throw out line ups that are rotational in nature. When we had CP3, teams were trying to target him on offense. Now our starting fives, or more importantly, end of game fives, will be more stout.

 

[Yuma]

Can hear Gambo now.

"Yuta the shootah"

more like: "EWE-TER DA SHOOTER" He inexplicably throws an R at the end of some of his pronunciations.

 

[nashman]

Yuta man!

 

[Yuma]

He is a 50+% shooter from the corner. That is the role he will play on offense and it will be beautiful. By the way, he shot 77% from three at the top of the circle, which is astounding. His weak spot shooting is from the angles. I am not sure about his defense, although I hear he is an extremely hard worker on D, but he definitely fits the "3" part of 3 and D.

Watanabe 2022/2023 Shot Chart | StatMuse

Yuta Watanabe shot 49.1% (114/232) overall and 44.4% (60/135) from three in 57 games in 2022-23. (Shot Chart)

www.statmuse.com

The angles threes is where I fell KD is his best when he gets hot in games. So the two work well together!