A Rising Star Emerges in the Nuggets! Averaging 8.8 Points and 1.1 Blocks, Filling Team's Weaknesses, Could He Be the Next Butler?
Unlike the Lakers and Celtics, who are considered major league teams, small-market teams like the Nuggets primarily enhance their competitiveness by cultivating new players.
The team's core players, Jokic and Murray, both joined the team as rookies and gradually grew into stars.
Among the current batch of young players in the Nuggets, the one most likely to become a star is not Braun, who started this year, but Watson, who has performed well off the bench.
Although Watson has not played much in recent years, he has shown his physical talent and defensive abilities in limited playing time.
He also possesses the same fighting spirit as Westbrook.
Watson was selected by the Nuggets with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2022 draft. When he first entered the league, some saw him as the next Butler.
Because Butler was selected by the Bulls with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2011 draft.
Although Watson is far inferior to the young Butler in terms of strength and game performance, the two players were positioned identically when they first entered the league, both as defensive specialists.
Watson had little playing time in his rookie season, and the Nuggets, who were strong in 2023, eventually won the championship. Watson could only learn slowly on the sidelines as a newcomer.
Last season, Watson began to receive playing time, but due to his youth, his game performance was poor. He could perform well defensively, but offensively he was a drag. He had poor spatial attributes, lacked ball-handling skills, had poor basketball IQ, and often made senseless mistakes.
Offensively, Watson was a rough player. However, the Nuggets showed great patience with him because he had tremendous room for improvement defensively.
One very scary statistic: last season, Watson's block rate ranked first among all forwards in the league. He averaged 1.1 blocks in just 18 minutes per game.
Watson has explosive athleticism, fast reflexes, strong athletic ability, and an arm span exceeding 7 feet. Watson is like a spiderman in the paint. It's not an exaggeration to say he's been the best rim protector for the Nuggets in recent years.
Moreover, this year Watson has further improved on both defense and offense, increasing his playing time to 25 minutes, and his average stats have reached 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks. His shooting percentage has increased to 48.4%, and his free throw percentage is close to 80%.
Although his three-point shooting is still lacking, Watson has developed some signature skills on offense.
For example, using his athletic ability, Watson often scores in transition, and this season 26% of his points come from fast breaks.
Watson is very good at cutting inside, with excellent mobility. With the help of his teammates' screens, he can cut into the paint with a reverse run.
In terms of ball handling, Watson has also made significant progress. Currently, he can handle some extended possessions and create damage with his athletic ability. In certain situations, he can also punish opponents with mid-range jump shots.
Entering 2025, Watson has scored in double digits in three out of the six games he has played. There has been significant improvement in his offense.
Defensively, Watson has maintained his excellent rim protection while also enhancing his defensive experience.
For example, last year Watson often got into foul trouble. Because he was too easily fooled by the opponent's feints. This year, Watson's man-to-man defense has been effective, and his timing of help defense is impeccable, showing a trend of becoming a defensive stopper on the perimeter.
For example, recently the Nuggets played against the Spurs twice, losing the first game but winning the second in overtime after Malone benched Braun and used Watson in the crucial moments.
In that game, Watson defended Wenyamadu inside and Paul outside, with good results.
The current Nuggets are not short on offense but urgently need defense. Perhaps in the second half of the season, the Nuggets should increase their use of Watson. If Watson can quickly grow into a trump card, the Nuggets' chances of winning the championship this season will increase.
What do you think of Watson's recent performance, fellow fans? Welcome to leave your comments in the article comment section.