Peyton Watson may be a Nugget for a long time.
The Denver Nuggets were obviously held back by injuries this season, with the main starting five of the squad unable to play together for most of the season as one or more of them were sidelined with injuries at any given time.
As a result, head coach David Adelman had to experiment with a variety of different lineups throughout the season to try and fill the gaps left by injuries and as a result, several role players who were expected to come off the bench instead saw far more elevated roles and increased playing time.
One of those players was Peyton Watson, who started in 40 games this season, a new career-high, while also hitting a career-high in minutes per game at 29.6.
Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesWatson Stepped Up
Watson definitely rose to the occasion when the Nuggets needed him most with a number of breakout games when he was elevated to a starting role. Watson averaged 14.6 points, four rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, all career-highs, while filling a crucial need for the Nuggets when he was called upon.
His season was ended prematurely by injury, but what he showed in the times that he was on the court was a positive sign for what he can be as a player and it's led the Nuggets to feel very confident in his role moving forward and has led team ownership to want to invest in his future with the team.
"Peyton had a great year. He obviously grew a lot... We hope Peyton's a Nugget for a very long time. he's been great for us," Ben Tenzer, executive vice president of basketball operations for the Nuggets, said in a press conference with team leadership.
Watson's Future
Watson's expectation going into this season was simply to continue to grow and develop as a player. Watson is just 23-years-old and played his fourth season in the NBA, all with Denver.
But, his unexpectedly elevated role offered a glimpse into exactly what kind of a player that Watson can be and he's shown a huge amount of promise that can continue to grow should he be given more and more responsibilities as a player.
Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) drives past Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesNuggets leadership expressed interest in moving forward with largely the same roster that took them to a 3-seed in the Western Conference and Watson is looking to be a bigger piece of that roster than ever before.
Watson will be a restricted free agent this offseason and if Tenzer's comments are to be believed, retaining him will be a priority for the team.