Yuta Watanabe on pace to breaking nearly 30-year-old NBA record: All you need to know

Yuta Watanabe is having the best year of his career. In 14 games with the Brooklyn Nets this season, the 6-foot-9 forward is shooting 60.9% from the field and 57.1% from the 3-point range.

If Watanabe keeps this up, he will break a 30-year-old 3-point record. He's been important for the Nets and has helped his team win games recently.

This article will reveals all you need to know about the record Watanabe could break this season. We will take a deeper look at his stats and career year.

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Yuta Watanabe is on pace to break an impressive 3-point record

In the 2022-23 season, the Brooklyn Nets forward is attempting 3.0 shots from deep per game. While his volume may not be impressive, the fact is that he's one of the best role players in the league.

In 18.2 minutes per game, Watanabe is averaging 8.1 points and 2.9 rebounds. If he keeps up his shooting percentage, he will break the 3-point record held by Steve Kerr.

Watanabe is having a career year with the Brooklyn Nets (Image via Getty Images)

Watanabe's 57.1% long-range success rate ranks him first all-time amongst players who've taken at least 82 3-pointers in a single season.

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The forward has made 24 3-pointers this season, and considering that he's making 1.7 per game, he could break the record. Of course, this task will be rather difficult, but it will be interesting to see if he can keep up his impressive shooting from downtown.

Steve Kerr currently holds the record (Image via Getty Images)

The current record is held by Steve Kerr, who converted 52.4% of his long-range shots in the 1994-95 season. Similar to Watanabe, Kerr averaged 8.2 points per game and led the league in 3-point percentage.

The Chicago Bulls sharpshooter made 2.1 3-pointers on average during his record-breaking season, which was more than enough for a statistical minimum of 82 3-pointers.

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Watanabe's impressive season

After four seasons in the NBA, it appears that Yuta Watanabe has finally found his home. In his first two years in the league, the forward played for the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging only 2.3 points per game.

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Watanabe is averaging a career-high 8.1 points in the 2022-23 season (Image via Getty Images)

After Memphis, Watanabe played for the Toronto Raptors. Despite getting more minutes and a bigger role, he was far from being a key piece off the bench.

Fortunately for Watanabe, it appears that he's a perfect fit for the Brooklyn Nets. The 28-year-old forward is on an expiring contract, but it won't be surprising if he gets a bigger deal next summer.