"He loves to play defense": What the Nuggets are getting in Peyton Watson

Around 12 months ago, Peyton Watson committed to play college basketball at UCLA amid fanfare, expectations, and a whole lot of hype. Watson was the No. 1 rated recruit in California and ranked 8th overall in the class of 2021. He chose UCLA over offers from Arizona, Gonzaga, Michigan, USC, Oregon and Washington.

But Watson struggled throughout his freshman season to find a foothold on a veteran UCLA team. UCLA returned all five starters and 10 players total from their 2021 Final Four run. Watson logged 20 minutes off the bench in UCLA’s season-opening blowout win over Cal State Bakersfield but shot just 2-11 from the field. It set the tone for a frustrating freshman year. He barely played in UCLA’s next two games vs. Villanova and Long Beach State.

Watson’s best game as a freshman came in UCLA’s fifth matchup of the year, a 75-62 win over Bellarmine who went 20-13 in the Atlantic Sun last season. In front of Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth, who was in attendance scouting, Watson scored a season-high 19 points on 9-12 shooting.

The Nuggets are hoping their player development program can help Watson rediscover the magic he found in Vegas that night. Watson didn’t score over 12 points in a game the rest of the season. Out of the 13 games he played as a freshman where he attempted four or more field goals, Watson shot above 50% from the floor only twice. Once came against Bellarmine. The other came when Watson shot 4-7 in a January blowout win vs. California.

While his offensive game is more of a concept at this point, there’s real substance to his defense. Watson has ideal measurables for a small forward at 6-foot-8 with a 7-1 1/2 wingspan. He has an 8-foot-11 1/2 standing reach. That’s two inches longer than Zeke Nnaji’s. He uses his size and length to smother his opponent. Watson never found his offense at UCLA, but his defense was always present. It’s the central reason why Denver took a chance on him at 30th overall in Thursday’s draft.

“He loves to play defense and he’s a basketball junkie,” Booth said. “He’s really intelligent, which leads me to believe he has All-Defensive potential.”

You can see the length, athleticism, and potential on tape. Watson registered a 5.5 block percentage at UCLA last season, which is higher than Herb Jones’ 4.0 BLK% during his senior season at Alabama. He’s not the quickest laterally but makes up for it with his length, athleticism and closing speed near the rim. If everything goes according to plan, Watson could be the perfect modern-day defensive small forward that the Nuggets deploy alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. to stop the highly-potent wings that line the Western Conference.

You can also see on the tape just how raw Watson is and how many reps he’ll need before he’s maybe ready for minutes at the NBA level. It’s why the G League is likely where he’ll be for most of next season. There, the Nuggets hope he can regain the confidence that he lost on the offensive end of the floor at UCLA. In high school and in small spurts as a freshman, Watson displayed point forward skills and rare passing vision for a player his size. Watson packs a smooth mid-range pull-up jumper too but overall needs to become a much more consistent shooter.

Watson was a late bloomer due to a growth spirit after his sophomore season but established himself as California’s top-ranked player in his class as a junior. From then on he got double and triple-teamed every game at Long Beach Poly High School but still found a way to average 25 points per game his junior season and 21.8 points per game as a senior. To increase his endurance, Watson’s uncle would have him and his younger brother run hills while dribbling basketballs during the offseason at Discovery Well Park, which is a seven-minute drive from Long Beach Poly.

Watson is a worker, which is another reason why Denver bet on him with a first-round pick. Think of him as a one-year-early draftee. If Watson went back to UCLA next season, he likely would have been a starter and a featured player. Watson would have improved his draft stock and some scouts believe he could have played himself into the top half of the first round in next year’s draft.

Instead of UCLA, that season will be played in the G League and in Denver under the guidance of the Nuggets’ coaching staff. There aren’t any expectations for Watson this season, but the Nuggets aren’t entirely dismissing the possibility that his defense could get him on the floor as a rookie.

“He’s the kind of guy that it might take two years or it might take two months,” Booth said. “He might go out there one game and play great defense against a high-caliber player and maybe earns a little trust from Coach Malone.”