Denver Nuggets guard says he gained 20 pounds ahead of training camp

Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson is looking to have a strong second year as a pro — literally. The 21-year-old told reporters on Wednesday that he’s gained over 20 pounds of muscle over the past year, with hopes that he’ll become a better and more versatile defender.

DNVR’s Harrison Wind shared Watson’s perspective in a tweet.

“Peyton Watson put on 20 pounds of muscle over the last year: “Playing the 3 and the 4, having to guys like AG. I don’t need any help. I don’t need a double. I’m holding my own,” he said today.”

Watson is primed for a larger role with the Nuggets in his sophomore season. More minutes have opened up off of the bench with the free-agent exits of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green. Denver’s No. 8 sounds like he’s been preparing himself for the opportunity that awaits.

Peyton Watson could have ‘surprising’ season for Denver Nuggets

There’s been some optimism that Watson could be primed to surprise a lot of people this year. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently included the young guard on his list of players who could turn some heads.

“He has the necessary size and length to be an all-purpose disruptive presence on defense and a ferocious finisher around the basket,” Buckley wrote. “He quietly has the ability to make plays (for himself and his teammates) off the dribble, and things could really open up for him if he finds consistency with his long-range shot.”

As a rookie, Watson didn’t get a ton of chances to prove himself. He appeared in just 23 total games for Denver, playing about 8.1 minutes each time. He did see more time in the NBA 2K24 Summer League and made the most of it.

Watson averaged 19 points per game across two appearances for the summer Nuggs.

He did, however, come up a bit gimpy at Nuggets training camp. Wind reported that Watson was seen limping with ice around his left ankle earlier this week.