Third-year forward Trendon Watford made his Brooklyn Nets debut against the New York Knicks on Sunday night. Watford had been nursing a hamstring ailment he suffered during preseason, but he is back and ready to provide strong support for the Nets. Watford is finding his rhythm after his hiatus, but he revealed the role he sees himself in with Brooklyn in 2024-25, one similar to fellow forward Ziaire Williams.
Watford started his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. The former LSU standout averaged a career-high 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. After one more season with Portland, Watford joined the re-tooled Nets for the 2023-24 season, where he comes off a campaign with averages of 6.9 points on a career-high 39.7 percent three-point shooting clip.
Watford proved himself as a valuable offensive piece during his first year in Brooklyn. However, he believes he has much more to offer.
"I'm just kind of everything," Watford told Erik Slater of ClutchPoints after Sunday's loss to the Knicks when asked how he views himself positionally. "Today I was playing the point a lot. You never know what next game might bring. I'm just trying to not put myself in a box."
Trendon Watford said he sees himself as a "Swiss Amry knife," a role Buckets in Brooklyn assigned Ziaire Williams after his promising 2024-25 preseason showing. Watford certainly has the tools to make an all-around impact for Brooklyn, but he must show growth to achieve his potential.
Watford must prove he can get it done on the defensive end
At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Watford has some enticing physical tools to be a threat on both ends of the floor. However, his defensive statistics have not necessarily labeled him as a stopper.
During his first two years in the NBA, Watford averaged a career-best 0.5 steals per game, which decreased to 0.4 per game in his first season with the Nets. He averaged a personal-best 0.6 blocks during his rookie year before the mark fell to 0.2 in his second campaign and 0.3 in his previous season with Brooklyn.
Watford must increase his intensity on defense to achieve the "Swiss Army knife" role he aspires to. So what numbers does Watford have to reach to prove himself? If he could get one of his steals or blocks averages close to 1.0 per game, that would be a start. Of course, numbers do not mean everything.
Dennis Schroder deemed Ziaire Williams one of the best defenders in the league, and Williams averages 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game through his first 14 games. Perhaps it is a high level of activity and breakout moments, such as Williams' four steals against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 30 that drew the praise.
Watford has the ability and physical stature to make a big impact on Brooklyn's defense and beyond. His all-around growth is just beginning.