Last offseason, when the Denver Nuggets lost key rotation bench players Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency—both crucial to Denver’s championship run—it became clear that general manager Calvin Booth and his team were dedicated to filling those gaps with young, homegrown talent.
One such player is Christian Braun, who, even as a rookie, made significant contributions during Denver’s title run, particularly with an impressive performance in the Finals against the Miami Heat.
Another is Peyton Watson, a highly athletic 6-foot-8 defensive wing with a 7-foot wingspan. Drafted alongside Braun with the 30th pick in 2022, Watson entered the season as a relatively unproven player. During his rookie year, he averaged only 8.1 minutes across 23 games, spending much of his time in the developmental G League and making sporadic appearances for the Nuggets mainly towards the season’s end.
However, from the start, the Nuggets organization was openly enthusiastic about Watson’s potential. He was selected using a pick that Denver acquired by trading JaMychal Green and a 2027 protected first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Peyton loves to play defense,” Booth said in his post-draft press conference the summer Watson was drafted. “And he’s a basketball junkie, he’s really intelligent, which leads me to believe that he has All-Defense potential.”
While this bold prediction may have seemed overly optimistic initially, the Nuggets demonstrated immense confidence in Watson this season. They committed to elevating his role over time and fully integrated him into their regular rotation as one of their primary bench players.
“Peyton Watson, in the last couple weeks of the regular season, showed glimpses of the player he has the chance to be and the potential that he has,” head coach Michael Malone said on media day prior to the start of this season.
“Peyton’s gonna get a chance to play,” he added, “and I’m excited to watch his progression and how he handles this opportunity.”
So far, Watson has adeptly seized this opportunity on multiple fronts, increasing his averages to 6.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on .470 shooting, according to Basketball Reference. His most significant impact has been on the defensive end, as anticipated.
Watson’s defensive prowess is most evident in his shot-blocking, where he averages a team-high 1.0 blocks per game. His ability to defend the rim has earned him the nicknames “P-Swat” and “Swatson.”
Watson’s shot-blocking abilities add a crucial dimension to Denver’s defense, a component that has been noticeably missing in recent years. His energy and dramatic blocks can electrify home crowds and be pivotal in changing the momentum of games.
A key aspect of Watson’s game is his fearlessness. Although he comes off the bench, he frequently shares the court with Denver’s star duo, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, giving him ample opportunities to defend against some of the NBA’s top players.
Whether facing big wings like the Lakers’ LeBron James, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, and Boston’s Jayson Tatum, or bigger centers and forwards such as New Orleans’ Zion Williamson and Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis, Watson shows no fear, hesitation, or trepidation in taking them on head-to-head.