UCLA Alum Watson Continues to Improve in Third Year

Former UCLA Bruin and current Denver Nugget forward Peyton Watson has improved vastly from Year 1 to Year 3 in the NBA.

Jan 1, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) reacts toward the crowd in the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Former UCLA Bruin and current forward for the Denver Nuggets Peyton Watson has seen massive growth in his game since his rookie season. Improving his numbers in all areas, Watson has contributed to many of the Denver wins this season as they look to be a big NBA playoff threat.

Watson, 22, has played in 42 games this season for the Nuggets, starting a handful, and averaging the most time on the court than he has ever had in the early stages of his career. Listed as the second string behind Aaron Gordon, Watson has made the most of the opportunities he's been given.

The biggest game for Watson this season came against the Cleveland Cavilers on Dec. 27, when he played for 26 minutes. In those 26 minutes, Watson dropped 18 points, had one steal, one block, two assists, one rebound and a high success rate in both his field goal and 3-point shots.

His 57.9 true shooting percentage sits as the best in his career, though there are a ton of games still to come on the season. Having learned a lot already at only 22 years old, Watson looks to be the future option as a forward for the Nuggets.

Playing alongside one of the best basketball players today in Nikola Jokic and MSU legend Russell Westbrook, Watson has men to look up to when he goes about the future of his game in Denver. Establishing himself as a key contributor early on has only benefitted the chances that he gets in the game.

So far on the season, Watson's 3-Point percentage has been the biggest growth from last season to this season. Having his success rate jump from 29.6% to 34.1% has given the Nuggets that extra edge that they have needed in close games. Any NBA team values a player that can shoot consistently beyond the paint.

For Watson and the rest of the Nuggets, they sit in fourth of the Western Conference and would be shoe-in contenders to go all the way in the NBA playoffs. The UCLA Bruins are well-established across multiple leagues, representing their best game possible.

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