Brooklyn Nets: Breaking down Summer League roster
By Phil Watson
Yuta Watanabe, SF (2017-18 team: George Washington Colonials)
Undrafted free agent Yuta Watanabe played four seasons at George Washington, but the 23-year-old also has some international experience playing for the Japanese national team in Olympic qualifying two years ago.
Watanabe was a full-time starter at GW his final three seasons and made progress each year, including averaging 16.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 36.6 minutes per game as a senior on .437/.364/.807 shooting.
Watanabe is a skilled combo forward who can shoot, score off the dribble and is solid from mid-range, but his lack of elite athleticism could be a hindrance moving forward with his career, according to NBA Scouting Live.
He’s a solid shot blocker for his size (6-foot-9, 205 pounds), but will need to add strength. He’s a streaky shooter who lacks an explosive first step off the bounce.
Watanabe can play multiple position and stretch for floor, but faces an uphill climb to find an NBA role.
James Webb, SF (2017-18 teams: Delaware/Long Island, Brooklyn)
James Webb is another one of those combo forwards with stretchy potential who got his NBA break last season when the Brooklyn Nets signed him to a two-way contract on Jan. 15.
Prior to that he had spent parts of two seasons with the Delaware 87ers in the G-League after going undrafted out of Boise State in 2016.
Webb was seventh in the G-League in rebounding in 2016-17, averaging 9.3 boards per game, while putting up 13.1 points and 1.3 steals in 34.8 minutes per game, shooting.446/.359/.756.
With Long Island last season, Webb played in 19 games and averaged 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 30.2 minutes a night on .406/.374/.872 shooting.
Webb got 10 games with Brooklyn on the two-way contract, averaging 12.0 minutes in those contests and putting up 1.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Like fellow two-way player Milton Doyle, Webb struggled mightily with his shot for the Nets, putting up a slash line of .250/4-for-19/—.