Almost since the moment he was drafted, I’ve been a staunch advocate of Peyton Watson. The rangy third-year wing has a ton of length, athleticism, and versatility. He projected as exactly what the Nuggets needed, an elite perimeter defender. But his overall skillset, especially on the offensive end, was extremely raw.
In an ideal world, Watson would have been playing consistent rotation minutes over the last few seasons, those skills would be more polished, and he’d be a reliable everyday player. But this world is not ideal and that vision still has yet to materialize.
Watson has shown glimpses of brilliance but Michael Malone has never fully trusted him. Malone loves his veterans and has little patience for young, mistake-prone players who are still learning. This was reasonable during Watson’s rookie season when Denver won the championship.
But it became much harder to understand last season after Bruce Brown and Jeff Green left. Despite being healthy all season and the Nuggets badly needing wing depth and athletes, Watson played just 18 minutes a game as a sophomore and Malone left him out of the playoff rotation last season in favor of Justin Holiday.
Surely, after losing Holiday and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the offseason, that would mean a much bigger role for Watson, but oddly, that hasn’t been the case. Watson has played just 23 minutes per game this season and his playing time and role continue to be inconsistent.
Can Watson be a reliable 7th man for Nuggets in playoffs?
It’s frustrating because in theory, Watson is exactly what the Nuggets need and he could easily be the top-line perimeter stopper the team so desperately covets. The regular season should have been used to build up Watson’s confidence and let him play through mistakes. There’s a real chance that he could be their missing piece had he just been given the opportunity.
Instead, the Nuggets find themselves in a precarious situation with the playoffs mere weeks away. They have a set and reliable starting five that will play heavy minutes every night. Russell Westbrook has earned the sixth-man role and will get a chance to play heavy minutes as well.
Watson an X-Factor for Nuggets’ playoff run
But they need one or two more guys to fill out the rotation and those minutes could make or break games in the playoffs. By default, Watson will almost certainly get a crack at it, but Malone has made it clear that he doesn’t love that option, nor does he fully trust Watson.
We’ve seen games like Monday night’s tilt against the Bulls where Watson looks like one of the best two-way players on the court, playing 38 minutes and scoring 24 points with 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen far too many games where Watson disappears on offense, almost forcing the team to play 4-on-5 until Malone pulls him.
That’s what the Nuggets can’t afford in the playoffs. Watson needs to play with confidence and channel his best moments into his shifts. Whether it’s Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, or someone else, there will almost certainly be an elite offensive engine on any team the Nuggets will play and Watson may be Denver’s best option on defense.
But will Malone trust Watson to keep him on the court, and will Watson reward that trust by making shots and staying active on the offensive end? It’s one of the biggest questions hanging over the Nuggets’ upcoming playoff run and one that could prove decisive.
If Watson can prove to be a plus and the team can win his minutes (or at least survive), they’ll be in good shape. If he disappears from the rotation again, they’re in big trouble.