Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from 90-76 loss to OKC Thunder

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 7: Yuta Watanabe #42 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 7, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Yuta Watanabe can play

Lost in the blowout was the second straight day of solid play from undrafted free agent rookie forward Yuta Watanabe.

A small forward at George Washington University, the native of Japan has been playing the 4 over the first two games in Summer League and has impressed with his activity, defensive acumen and his ability to be around the ball.

On Saturday, Watanabe logged 27 minutes and finished with 13 points, five rebounds, four blocks and two steals. That gives him six blocked shots in two games in Vegas.

He was 3-for-7 from the floor and 1-for-4 from deep, but took the ball hard to the basket and then converted, hitting 6-of-6 at the line.

While plus/minus isn’t always an indicator of overall play, it’s worth noting that Watanabe’s plus-8 on Saturday made him the only Net with a positive number in that column.

By comparison, Kamari Murphy — who started at center Saturday with Tyler Davis out — was minus-16 in 20 minutes and point guard Semaj Christon put up the same number in 19 minutes on the floor.

There were other bright spots … just not many.

Theo Pinson led the Nets with 16 points in 26 minutes and was much more under control Saturday than he was against the Magic, finishing 5-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-5 from deep with five rebounds, two steals, two blocks and — most notably — one turnover.

Seven-foot center Trevor Thompson showed some touch from outside on his way to putting up eight points in 17 minutes to go with a team-high seven rebounds.