Denver Nuggets rookie Peyton Watson out to pave his own lane
DENVER – Advice isn’t the only thing Peyton Watson is getting from his superstar mentor.
Watson, the Nuggets selection with the 30th pick in last month’s draft, first got introduced to Kevin Durant as a junior in high school. Durant attended one of Watson’s games at Long Beach Poly (Calif.) and reached out through one of Watson’s uncles. Now they communicate on a near-daily basis, Watson said.
“He’s really taken me under his wing,” Watson said Sunday after his second Summer League practice in Denver. “He’s taught me a lot about the game. He’s got a great feel. He’s been playing for such a long time that he knows little nuances and things that I need to get better. I’ve just been taking everything he says and learning from one of the best to ever touch a basketball.”
Like Durant, Watson also appears to have a healthy obsession with the game.
“It’s one of those things that I can’t get enough of. Hoop is like a vitamin for me,” Watson said. “Every day, I have to have it.”
After one season at UCLA, the 6-foot-8 wing has quickly taken a liking to the singular focus of the professional lifestyle.
“It’s been amazing to just wake up every day just thinking about basketball, getting better every day, lifting, eating right,” he said. “They make it as easy as possible for us to focus on basketball. So, being a pro has been beautiful.”
While Durant’s a couple of inches taller, Watson said he modeled his game after his mentor. It’s evident in the way he handles the ball. It also shows in his legs on his jump shot where his staggered right foot is a little pigeon-toed, knees almost coming together on the way up. The top half of Watson’s shot isn’t as smooth. He shot 22.6% from 3 last season, though limited minutes on a deep and talented UCLA team probably didn’t help.
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“I’ve been working on it all summer,” Watson said. “Every time I’ve gone in to a team for a workout, I shot the hell out of the ball. I came here, and I shot the ball well, too.
“This is my job now, so why wouldn’t I get better at it? Why wouldn’t I focus on it and become more comfortable there. I definitely became more comfortable, and I’m shooting it with confidence.”
Watson made 5-of-7 uncontested shots from the corner in one stretch open to media and missed a few in a row other times. He did some other things that impressed Summer League coach Ryan Bowen before the doors to the practice court were open.
“He does a really good job of getting to his spot. He gets into the paint,” Bowen said. “Sometimes he gets stuck, but he’s tall enough he can just kind of turn and shoot over guys. He’s done a good job with one or two dribbles, making those early decisions. … He’s a really good cutter. You can really see how that cutting will fit in with our normal team.”
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The rookie officially signed his contract Sunday alongside Christian Braun, the 21st overall selection and Collin Gillespie, who signed a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Villanova. The trio will have their first chance to impress publicly in their Summer League debut Friday in Las Vegas. That will be the start of Watson’s quest to make his own name in the NBA.
“Me and KD know I’m Peyton Watson. I don’t want to be like anybody else,” Watson said. “Yes, I did pattern my game after him. I love what he can do on the basketball court, but at the end of the day, I have my own identity. I feel like there’s only one me.”