The Denver Nuggets are still enjoying a strong start to the 2025-26 season, but they find themselves confronted with one major problem: as of this writing, they rank last in the NBA in drives per game, as well as points via drives per game. To solve this issue, they need Peyton Watson to step up.
If we look at the numbers, the differential between the Nuggets and the rest of the league when it comes to drives is rather jarring. The nuggets are in 30th Place with 29.9 drives per game, and the next highest team is the Los Angeles Clippers, who are over 10 higher per game at 38.5.
Denver is also 30th in points off drives at 18.4 points per game, compared to 22.3 from the 29th-place team. Again, this team is putting together winning performances, but they may not be sustainable for long with this clear deficiency in an important area. If the Nuggets want to ensure they can replicate this success in the postseason, they have to fix this problem.
Overall, what this comes down to is the fact that Nikola Jokic is going to make any offense elite, but every contender needs consistent rim pressure so the defense can't find advantages consistently. This is where Peyton Watson comes in.
The Nuggets have to increase their drives
When he's playing with confidence, Watson actively gets downhill, uses his length, and forces rim pressure. He's one of the guys on the roster best suited to attack off the catch and get two feet in the paint. His drives aren't high in volume yet, but his ceiling as a driver is higher than arguably every other role player on the roster.
Right now, the Nuggets' opponents are increasingly loading up on Jokic, wwitching, or sinking off non-shooters because they know Denver isn't going to routinely attack closeouts. Watson is one of the few guys defenses do have to close out on because of his improved shooting threat, which opens up driving lanes. It's Peyton's mere willingness to attack that changes the geometry of the floor for this team.
The good thing is that Watson has already had games in November where he's looked aggressive. He's certainly shown flashes of attacking closeouts, finishing through contact, and getting himself to the free throw line. Every time Peyton plays downhill, Nuggets fans can see the offense breathe easier.
The front office needs Watson to continue leveling up, because the trade market doesn't have a lot of obvious options to go after. If he can keep driving consistently, that alone could put the Nuggets' offense in a far more favorable position moving forward.