Peyton Watson Sends Warning Message to NBA After First Game Back

The young wing has high hopes for the Denver Nuggets after taking down the Portland Trail Blazers.

Mar 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) smiles before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

After being one of the most injury-ridden teams in the NBA for most of the season, the Denver Nuggets finally had a full-strength lineup on the floor on Sunday. In a 128-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, standout wing Peyton Watson returned from a 19-game absence due to a hamstring strain, giving the Nuggets their first look at a fully healthy group since November.

Following the huge win, Watson issued a warning message to the rest of the NBA to let them know the Nuggets are unbeatable when fully healthy.

"Just do everything the right way," Watson said about the Nuggets' mentality for their last ten games. "We know that we've got a great team, and it's been a while since we've had our full team. I think when we're healthy, nobody in the league can beat us."

“I think when were healthy, nobody in the league can beat us”

Peyton Watson shared his thoughts on the W! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/duRPeqTj9w

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) March 22, 2026

Are the healthy Nuggets the NBA's best team?

Even though Watson was on a minute restriction for Sunday's game and certainly was not his best after missing six weeks, he dropped 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 6-13 shooting from the field and 1-5 from deep in 20 minutes of action. Watson will need all ten games remaining to get adjusted, along with the rest of the Nuggets, now that they have their entire lineup back.

The last time the Nuggets had their lineup fully healthy was the 11th game of the season. In those first 11 games, they had the NBA's second-best offensive rating, third-best defensive rating, and second-best net rating with a 9-2 record. Sure, it was a small sample size, but it's all we've got for the full-strength Nuggets.

From what we have seen from the Nuggets when they are fully healthy, it is impossible to say that they are not one of the NBA's top teams. While a seven-game playoff series against a powerhouse like the Oklahoma City Thunder would still be an uphill climb, the Nuggets have to be confident in their ability to take down the defending champs, or any other team of that caliber.

Watson, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun have all dealt with significant injuries this season. That's five of their top seven scorers who have each missed at least 16 games, with Gordon getting the worst of it with 42 absences.

With Watson now back, along with their other key players who have missed time, the Nuggets will get more opportunity to show why they are potentially the best team in the NBA when healthy. Through their last ten games, they will have two key matchups against the San Antonio Spurs, one more meeting against the Thunder, and one against the Phoenix Suns.

As they prepare for the playoffs and try to get adjusted to their new-look lineup while staying healthy, these last ten games will be huge for the Nuggets. Of course, they will not go undefeated, as Watson's bold claim might suggest, but they will have a chance to prove that they are capable of beating anyone when healthy.