Brooklyn Nets: Midseason Grades

Kris Humphries, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace
Seems like a lifetime ago. (AP)

C.J. Watson:

Brandon Jennings, Brook Lopez, C.J. Watson
C.J. Watson (AP)

So much jubilation when the Nets (AKA, Deron Williams) wooed the former D-Rose backup to Brooklyn for merely the veteran’s minimum, and he quickly won over fans with his frantic play and disruptive defense. Well, this season has not been a smooth ride for Watson, who is shooting just 38% from the field this year and averaging very few assists. Here’s how I look at Watson; if even a star point guard like Deron Williams’s numbers are down this season playing in the dribble-heavy, isolationist Nets offense, so will a career backup’s like Watson.

The other thing that doesn’t help Watson’s cause is that he is wildly inconsistent, both in shot selection and his ability to knock down those shots. In January, Watson shot 44.6% from the field, but the month of February has been a much different story. This month, Watson was hitting on just 32.6% of his attempts before his 25-point outburst against the Nuggets Wednesday night. If Watson wants to get consistent minutes, he’s going to have to show that type of consistency. Perhaps with rookie Tyshawn Taylor’s recent surge, Watson may feel a bit more pressure to keep his backup job.
-Max Weisberg

Previous: Gerald Wallace Last: Deron Williams

Full List:
Andray Blatche | Keith Bogans | MarShon Brooks | P.J. Carlesimo | Reggie Evans | Kris Humphries | Joe Johnson | Brook Lopez | Tornike Shengelia | Jerry Stackhouse | Tyshawn Taylor | Mirza Teletovic | Gerald Wallace | C.J. Watson | Deron Williams