Despite stellar play from Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets have gotten off to a slow start this NBA season. They currently hold a record of 12 wins and 11 losses. Ben Simmons and Yuta Watanabe, along with a few other players have missed a significant amount of games for the Nets.
Fans might remember that Yuta has developed into an excellent three-point shooter this season. He might not take a lot of shots. However, his efficiency is commendable. On the other hand, Simmons had a slow start to this season. Nonetheless, he recently had a couple of good scoring games for the Nets before being sidelined once again.
Thus, it will fall upon Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to keep the team afloat and the season alive in the absence of their teammates. With that being said, NBA fans should be wondering what is wrong with Simmons and Watanabe. Moreover, knowing when they are expected to be back is also important.
When will Ben Simmons return?
Ben Simmons’ erratic playstyle is certainly the elephant in the room for the Brooklyn Nets. He has struggled to return to form and play at a high level. Simmons has averaged 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists this season.
These are not very bad numbers and speak to an average all-rounder on a team. However, that is certainly not what the Nets traded for in return for James Harden. He is expected to be the facilitator and best defender on the Nets.
That has certainly not been the case so far. He is constantly caught ball-watching and not playing with enough aggressiveness. It turns out that he has been injured. According to the reports, Simmons is listed out of the roster due to a left lateral upper calf strain. That would also explain his inability to keep up with defenders on the perimeter at times. He is yet to complete his treatment and will miss at least another 3 games for the Nets.When will Yuta Watanabe return?
Most NBA fans remember Yuta as the Raptors player that Anthony Edwards dunked on. However, he has clearly not let one isolated play get to him and developed into an excellent shooter. In fact, Kyrie Irving felt the need to commend him glowingly for his effective shooting.
Watanabe is averaging a ridiculously efficient 60.9% from the field and 57,1% from the three-point line. These are statistics that even Stephen Curry cannot consistently average. However, it is important to distinguish that Yuta is simply a solid roleplayer who scores about 8 points and 3 rebounds a game.
That does not change the fact that the Brooklyn Nets need him and use his abilities well. After all, having excellent catch-and-shoot three-point specialists around KD and Kyrie should be a recipe for success. They are both iso-style players who draw multiple defenders to them in-game.
Yuta is currently sidelined due to a strain on his right hamstring. There is no clear picture of his return and he will be reassessed in a week.
Thus it will fall upon KD and Kyrie to keep the team going. They certainly have enough help despite missing both Ben Simmons and Yuta Watanabe. Be that as it may, the Nets will look to have both of these players in their full-strength lineup.
