It hasn’t been the best week for the Nuggets as they went 2-2 on their Eastern Conference road trip, looking fairly beaten down by the end. Prior to that trip, they got thumped by the Lakers at home and during this mini skid, a lot of warts have been exposed.
In some way or another, every issue comes back to the same general theme; everyone other than Nikola Jokic is a massive question mark. When Jamal Murray looks good, he’s proven to be a capable number two, but he’s still not as consistent as one would like.
Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon are usually reliable, but it’s not a sure thing. Christian Braun has actually been the most consistently reliable player this season outside of Jokic, but he’s still just a very good role player.
Beyond the starters, things really fall off a cliff and that has been on display in recent weeks as the team has been shorthanded, and bench players have had to play heavy minutes. But luckily, that should be coming to an end as the Nuggets got some excellent news about one of their best bench players.
Peyton Watson announces his return on social media
Arguably Denver’s best defensive player, Peyton Watson has been sidelined since January with a knee sprain. He provides defense, length, and athleticism for a team that is desperately lacking in each of those areas and his absence has been sorely felt.
On Monday, Watson seemed to announce his imminent return via Instagram, posting a picture of himself with the caption “Ocho back”. Watson wears number eight so one can logically assume that Watson has recovered from his knee sprain and is ready to return to play.
A message from Peyton Watson’s Instagram: pic.twitter.com/ypkc9xCLKl
— Vinny Benedetto (@VBenedetto) March 3, 2025
This is great news for the Nuggets who need to start fortifying their playoff rotation. They haven’t had many chances to play with all of their top seven players this year, but that should finally be the case once Watson returns.
Denver needs defense and shooting more than anything at this point. Watson will dramatically improve the defense and should get heavy minutes due to that alone. But his offense has the chance to set him apart and raise this team’s floor. If he can reliably hit jump shots, he can be a legitimate X-factor in the playoffs.
That’s a big ask and probably wishful thinking, but it’s probably the Nuggets' best and most realistic chance at going up a level this season. Watson is still young and now is the time to embolden him and grow his confidence. We know what Russell Westbrook is at this point and Julian Strawther may be unplayable thanks to his defense.
The Nuggets need a bench player to emerge and give them a shot in the arm. If there’s anyone who can do it this season, it’s Peyton Watson. Let’s see him unleashed down the stretch and hope that he can find a rhythm and get in a little bit of a groove on offense.