3 reasons it didn't work out for Yuta Watanabe with the Phoenix Suns

2. The play of Grayson Allen

Unfortunately for Watanabe, the fantastic play of Grayson Allen this season did his own case for minutes absolutely no favors either. We'll never know if Watanabe ever had a shot to start for this team before the season began, but in the end it didn't matter because Allen took that starting spot from everybody else on the roster.

It is almost ironic, as Allen is having the kind of season that Watanabe did last year, and which made the Suns go out and sign him. His 49.4 percent from deep leads the entire NBA, while defensively Allen chips in as much as he can as well. He may have a reputation as a dirty player that will never go away - but if you look beyond that fair tag - he does also play hard within the rules as well.

Allen is also much more athletic than Watanabe, and has been so good at spacing the floor and doing a bit of everything - including having a ridiculous 14 assists recently - that he made Watanabe redundant almost immediately. Factor in Eric Gordon as well, and the path to a stable role was always going to be a tough one for Watanabe.

Consider this, Allen had been the Suns' third best for a lot of the season while Bradley Beal was out injured, and he stepped up to the task admirably. If a guy with similar skills to you, who is also more athletic and is a better defender, is doing a competent job of holding down the fort while a multiple time All-Star is out of action, you know you're in trouble.