Memphis Grizzlies’ Yuta Watanabe Proves Signing is Not a Publicity Stunt

The Memphis Grizzlies’ sole two-way contract — Yuta Watanabe — was the difference-maker on Saturday versus the Indiana Pacers.

Being halfway through the preseason schedule, it was not shocking to see the Memphis Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers decide to rest their most important veteran players in Saturday’s matchup.

It was supposed to be your typical NBA preseason game. Without these two teams’ stars, by the likes of Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Victor Oladipo, and Myles Turner to name a few, it was almost like a Summer League setting. The young guys were going at it, proving their worth to their respective team.

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The contest remained close throughout all four quarters. Entering the final 12-minute period, Memphis lost their lead and trailed by a score of 78-76 in favor of the Pacers. The game was far from over.

Prior to the final moments in regulation, the FedEx Forum crowd had received a few impressive flashes from the Grizzlies’ only two-way contractual rookie, Yuta Watanabe. It was the first time a lot of fans have had the chance to applaud his efforts on the hardwood.

Watanabe displayed plenty of hustle for the Grizzlies while stealing the ball (which the NBA did not correctly credit Yuta in the box score), and running the floor en route to fastbreak points. He demonstrated the ability to finish at the rim once the possession was stolen from Indiana.

The loudest round of applause came as the game clock stopped at 6.4 seconds in regulation. The Memphis Grizzlies trailed by three at 94-91 until they found Yuta Watanabe for a desperation three-point attempt.

With a defender running into his space, Watanabe luckily got a clean shot off. Though it was too strong, it banked off the glass. Money. Tie game! 

The game would go into overtime and the Memphis Grizzlies would prevail. Had it not been for the strong overall performance by Yuta Watanabe, this would have been a loss for the Grizz. Had his end-of-regulation heroics been canceled, it would have been a losing effort for the team, too.

One week ago, nobody in Grizz Nation was thinking Watanabe was going to play the role he assumed on Saturday evening. He showed up in a major way to place a check in the Grizzlies’ preseason win column.

When Yuta Watanabe originally inked his two-way contract in the offseason, it was obviously the start of a new developmental project. He is a raw talent, sure, and he needs to add strength and meat to his 6’9″, 205-pound frame. The majority of the Grizzlies’ fan base did not know anything about him. All the hype was surrounding him being just the second Japanese-born player to reach the NBA in league history.

Publicity stunt? At first, it was believable. Landing on a two-way contract, it was a very low-risk signing while achieving a great deal of global exposure. All eyes are on Watanabe.

Fans finally got to know more about this prospect from George Washington University during the team’s Open Practice and Scrimmage a week ago. He is a goofy, fun-loving kid that has quite a diverse skill set on the court. His teammates enjoy his presence and now all of Memphis does, too.

Just a few days prior to turning 24 years old, he has scored his first NBA points (though preseason), secured a fastbreak dunk, and banked home a three-point game-tying shot. Watanabe has come a long way in a very short amount of time.

Saturday proved that Yuta is a real NBA talent and is worthy of his two-way contract, if not more. It should no longer seem like a publicity stunt to get Japanese media interested in Memphis Grizzlies basketball as this kid can definitely play with the best of them. This franchise will gladly welcome aboard any new fans it could possibly gain.