Peyton Watson is having a career year after Nikola Jokic’s long absence, going six straight games with 20-plus points.
Quite frankly, Watson’s breakout couldn’t come at a better moment. He’s set to hit restricted free agency this summer after failing to land an extension. His play without the three-time MVP is pricing him out of Denver’s budget.
Peyton Watson Credits Patience for Blockbuster Show Without Nikola Jokic
Watson discussed how critics questioned his offensive game since his college days at UCLA. He’s been waiting for this opportunity to prove doubters wrong.
“Since college, when people kinda doubted my ability to contribute offensively, I think that’s always been something that I’ve been itching to get out and prove to people,” Watson said after Friday’s loss to Atlanta Hawks.
“Waiting my turn was 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑩𝑬𝑺𝑻 thing for me.” – Peyton Watson 🗣️🎱 https://t.co/QDeNgcMVDF pic.twitter.com/zBbUFaVbTp
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) January 10, 2026
“But at the end of the day, waiting my turn was the best thing for me. I’ve gotten so much better. I’ve developed a lot; I’ve had time to mature as a young man. And right now, it feels like the perfect time to kinda unleash what I’ve been working on. So just having guys out and just having the necessity to step up, I think, has just been good for me,” he added.
The 23-year-old forward has stepped up as the Nuggets deal with injuries. He scored a team-high 25 points against the Hawks on Friday and in the very recent game against Bucks, he added 19 points, just one short of extending the streak to seven.
With him as a main guard, the Nuggets are 4–3 in the seven games since Jokic got hurt in his knee. The three-time MVP was devastatingly injured late in the second quarter against the Miami Heat on December 29, when he went down clutching his left knee. An MRI later showed a bone bruise, with a recovery timeline of at least four weeks.
ESPN’s Shams Charania: Looking at the end of January as a potential return window. Other sources, like Marc Stein, consider early February to be increasingly the realistic target, possibly by the All-Star break (mid-February) at the latest.
In this period, Watson has satisfied his coaches by averaging 20.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over his last ten games. Safe to say, the fourth-year wing has finally seized his moment, as this is a significant jump from the 12.8 points per game he averaged last month.
Plus, his explosive stretch has dramatically increased his market value. But for now, Watson is focused on proving his worth every night. His patience finally paid off with a career-defining opportunity he refuses to waste.
