TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Following a rocky start to his B-League career with the Chiba Jets, national team star Yuta Watanabe is determined to get on track in the second half of Japan's domestic basketball season.

The 206-centimeter swingman drew a spotlight to the B-League last year when he announced his intention to play in the burgeoning domestic competition after six seasons in the NBA.

He made his highly anticipated debut for the Jets in their Oct. 5 season opener but suffered an ankle injury the following game and was subsequently out of action for nearly two months.

Watanabe averaged 13.6 points while appearing in only 17 of 30 games before the Jan. 18-19 B-League All-Star weekend hosted by the Jets at their new home, LaLa arena Tokyo-Bay.

"It's been a tough stretch, so I'm hoping to bounce back from here," he said following the All-Star break.

He is still struggling with his shot since returning to the court, with his three-point accuracy hovering around 30 percent -- well below his NBA career average of 37.0.

"I haven't been satisfied at all since the start of the season," he said.

Watanabe has nevertheless shown glimpses of the play that enabled him to make an NBA career with teams including the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets.

In the last game before the All-Star break, he shot 6-from-9 from outside on his way to a career-high 30 points against the Koshigaya Alphas, boosting the morale of a Chiba team that has also been hit by injuries to some of its foreign stars.

The Jets ended January in third place in the B-League's eastern conference and will need big contributions from Watanabe down the home stretch of the season if they are to capture their first championship since 2020-21.

"I want to improve my performance and be a player who can help the team win the title," Watanabe said.