1. Yuta Watanabe
Reunited with his former teammate Durant, Yuta Watanabe signed a two-year deal with the team over the summer. Although he hasn’t averaged close to ten points so far in his career, he’s loved by most NBA fans globally.
Last season, he played for the Brooklyn Nets, where he sort of had a breakout year. He only averaged 5.6 points, which isn’t enough to be labeled as a “breakout year.” Still, he became the deadly catch-and-shoot player for the Nets at the time. He made 44.4 percent of his three-pointers while attempting a decent 2.3 shots from long-range.
Yuta Watanabe’s first shot as a member of the Phoenix Suns.
— Zona (@AZSportsZone) October 8, 2023
Splash. pic.twitter.com/8yOkkCvxsr
Watanabe’s reliability from beyond the arc could be the team’s secret weapon. He probably won’t even demand more than 20 minutes a game. On top of that, he’s fresh off of the 2023 FIBA World Cup where he helped lead Japan to secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
His experience as a leader for his national team and as a role player in the NBA will be indispensable. The Japanese star knows not to try and do too much but has the awareness that he can do more than what he’s asked for at times.
The Suns have a chance to win the 2024 NBA title, they just have to execute everything well and stay healthy. Luckily these three guys could be of great help to their campaign.