Nets coach Jacque Vaughn says Yuta Watanabe's hamstring injury does not seem serious
Nets forward Yuta Watanabe looks on before shooting a free throw against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game at Barclays Center on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
INDIANAPOLIS — Yuta Watanabe’s right hamstring strain does not appear to be serious, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said, and the league’s most accurate three-point shooter will begin his progressions to return to play after the team flies back to Brooklyn after Friday night’s game against the Pacers.
Watanabe, who was on an exercise bike during the morning shootaround, won’t undergo more imaging after an MRI revealed the strain earlier this week. He has missed three games, and it didn’t appear particularly likely that he’ll be ready for Sunday’s contest against the Trail Blazers at Barclays Center.
“Conservative approach for us,” Vaughn said of how the Nets plan to handle Watanabe, who is shooting 57.1% from outside the arc. “No setbacks for him. Not really worried that this is something that’s going to last for long.”
Quarter mark
The Nets played their 20th game Friday — essentially the season’s quarter mark — and though they’re much better after their 2-7 start, they still faced the Pacers one game under .500.
“The consistency piece of putting games, full games, 48 minutes together on a more consistent basis,” Vaughn said about their upcoming focus. “You’ve seen us roller coaster a little bit, be locked into games beginning to end, halfway through games, have possessions a little bit. So a little bit of a challenge for this group is to, from beginning to the end tonight, is be consistently locked in.”
Rim shots
TJ Warren, who is recovering from two foot surgeries, has progressed from three-on-three against players earlier this week to four-on-four, Vaughn said. He’s also playing some five-on-five with a mixture of players and coaches. There still is no timetable for his return . . . Seth Curry, who is recovering from ankle surgery, played Friday after being ruled out Wednesday, the second game of a back-to-back. Curry, who is recovering from ankle surgery, has not played in back-to-back games yet, and though that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon, it’s a goal. “We’re looking at the totality of it all,” Vaughn said. “It’s still November . . . I’m sure he will get to playing back-to-backs.”
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
