Yuta Watanabe is the lone member of the Phoenix Suns participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and though his performances have been strong, Watanabe's home country of Japan will not be going any further than the group stage.
Qualifying as a host country, Japan landed in a tough group consisting of Germany, Finland and Australia. They ultimately went 1-2 in group play and finished third, with Germany and Australia advancing out of Group E:
Game 1: Germany 81, Japan 63
Game 2: Japan 98, Finland 88
Game 3: Australia 109, Japan 89
Watanabe, who had suffered a leg injury during the World Cup, managed to play through and finish group play with the following numbers on a per-game basis:
Efficiency: 13.7
PPG: 16
Rebounds: 4.3
Assists: 1.3
FG%: 44.7%
Now, the next time we'll see Watanabe in action will be for the Suns in preseason play, which begins in early October.
Watanabe - who signed with the Suns this offseason as a free agent, is the perfect complement to Kevin Durant, who previously shared the court with him in Brooklyn:
"What Watanabe offers to the Suns specifically is a high energy player that will fit head coach Frank Vogel’s style on the defensive end. Watanabe, although likely not a starter, will see minutes in the game, especially when Durant is on the floor," said our own Everett Williams.
"Durant and Watanabe played in Brooklyn for only one season last year and only 26 games together. But the chemistry between the two was evident, Durant and Watanabe’s relationship both on and off the floor was something that the Suns considered in the off season, thus striking the deal with the 27 year old Watanabe."
Former Suns Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson are part of a USA squad that have punched their ticket to the knockout stages.
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