Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn provided injury updates on TJ Warren and Yuta Watanabe ahead of Tuesday's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Nets ruled out Watanabe with hamstring tightness Tuesday. The 28-year-old, who signed a non-guaranteed contract with Brooklyn this summer, has been one of the feel-good storylines of the NBA over the last week. Watanabe is leading the league in 3-point percentage at 57.1 percent.
Yuta Watanabe’s performance last night deserves a thread 🧵 So here we go:
No other way to start it.
Ice cold with the confidence on this clutch three. Watanabe is leading the NBA in 3-point percentage at 55.6. pic.twitter.com/mxSa2I2HjW
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 18, 2022
The Japanese product propelled the Nets to victory with clutch performances down the stretch of their last two wins. Watanabe scored nine points on 3 of 3 shooting from three in fourth quarter of Brooklyn's win over Portland Thursday and 12 points on 4 of 5 from deep in the final frame against Memphis Sunday.
Vaughn called Watanabe day-to-day and would not rule him out for Wednesday's game in Toronto.
The head coach also said TJ Warren, who has not played this season while recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, has progressed to scrimmaging against players. Warren had exclusively been playing against coaches in prior weeks.
T.J. Warren getting reps in some halfcourt 3 on 3 drills.
Update from Jacque Vaughn to come. pic.twitter.com/hdpybfhHWO
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 11, 2022
“We’re beyond coaches. He is playing against other players, which is a step in the right direction,” the Nets coach said. “No setbacks. So overall, T.J. has been getting a good body of work in.”
Vaughn said he was not sure if Warren had worked up to 5 on 5 scrimmages yet.
Warren signed with Brooklyn on a minimum contract this summer. The North Carolina State product played just four games over the last two seasons while undergoing several surgeries to repair a navicular stress fracture in his left foot.
The 29-year-old poured in 19.8 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting from three in his last full season. When healthy, the 6-foot-8 forward presents a true three-level scoring threat and high-level secondary ball handler. Warren also proved effective with Indiana as an off-ball cutter and spot-up shooter, converting on 42.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes over his last two seasons.
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