Peyton Watson eager to show growth but still uncertain if he'll play in Denver Nuggets' preseason

There’s a lot Peyton Watson wants to show this season, but he’s still a step away from the opportunity to do so.

The 22-year-old, as expected, did not play in either of the Nuggets’ first two preseason games due to a nagging hamstring injury. He said he’s feeling close to healthy following Thursday’s practice at Ball Arena. But he’s still not certain he’ll take the court before Denver’s regular-season opener on Oct. 24.

“I’m still getting a feel for it, honestly. Hamstring is one of those things that can be a lingering injury. The last thing I want to do is hurt it even more seriously and miss more time,” Watson said.

“We’re just playing it safe right now. But I feel great. The strength of my hamstring has returned completely.”

Walking and running aren’t the issue, and Watson has ramped up his activity since the team returned from Abu Dhabi. The last step is having confidence his hamstring can handle the sharp bursts and changes of direction, which are crucial to his role.

“I consider myself one of the better defenders in the league, so if I want to maintain that level of defensive prowess, then I think that I, for sure, need to be 100 percent,” Watson said.

After playing in 23 games as a rookie, Watson’s defense helped him become an important part of Denver’s regular-season rotation last season, playing in all but two games. His minutes jumped from 8.1 per game in 2022-23 to 18.6 last season. Heading into his third NBA season, Watson wants to rebound at a higher rate than he did a season ago, grow as a facilitator and become more consistent on defense.

“I have a natural feel for that defensive side of the ball, because I watch a lot of film. I watch a lot of players offensively, so I kind of get a feel for their tendencies,” Watson said. "

“(It’s) not always trying to make the superstar play. I know that if we need that, I can go up and I can make a spectacular block or I can get a big deflection when we need it. But for me, it’s just all about containing guys, so that I don’t even have to get to that point where I’m jumping through the air over three people over Joker’s back.”

It sounds good, but it’s also important for the team to see that growth during training camp and preseason. That hasn’t happened yet, though he’s getting closer ahead of a much-anticipated third season.

“It is difficult, and I feel for him,” Nuggets lead assistant David Adelman said after head coach Michael Malone missed a second straight practice due to illness. “He’s told me how frustrated he is. It’s not just the fact he’s not playing. It’s the fact that he wants to compete against his teammates, as we’re trying to find guys (and) what kind of minutes they’re going to play, where they’re at in the rotation. It’s unfair to him more than it’s unfair to us to decide what his role is going to be, how he fits. … I know he’s dying to get back on the court.”

Options exercised

Prior to Thursday’s practice, the Nuggets announced it had picked up Watson and Christian Braun’s fourth-year options, locking both players into next season’s roster. The team also exercised Julian Strawther’s third-year option for next season. The moves come as little surprise, as Denver needs younger players on relatively cheap contracts to contribute given Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon’s contracts.