The Nuggets knew Peyton Watson would be hard to replace when they worked out the sign-and-trade that sent him to Cleveland. He was young, talented, and exactly the kind of player teams hate to lose. But five games into the season, Denver has at least gotten a little help in making peace with that decision.
The cleanest way to see it is through the three-point line. Denver has looked short on spacing, and that issue only gets louder with Cam Johnson sidelined.
Watson, who shot 41.1 percent on 3.6 attempts per game last season for the Nuggets, seemed like the kind of wing who could have eased that problem. Instead, his start with Cleveland has been rough enough to change the conversation.
He’s down to 14.3 percent from deep, going 3-for-21 while taking 4.2 threes a night. In three games already, he’s missed every long-range try. That included Thursday’s 114-111 loss to the Hawks, when he went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, 1-for-8 overall, and finished with four points in 22 minutes.
That’s a long way from the version of Watson that helped build his case for a four-year, $88 million deal with the Cavaliers. In January, he averaged 21.9 points and hit 46.2 percent from three over 15 games. But as Andy Bailey pointed out over the summer, once that month is removed from his career line, Watson’s numbers fall to 7.7 points and 34.2 percent from deep.
That January stretch still mattered. It was part of how Watson helped keep Denver afloat when injuries hit last season, before he got hurt himself. But it also shows why the Nuggets were willing to move on, and why Cleveland was willing to bet on him in the first place.
Watson’s not lost in Cleveland. He’s already contributed with his energy, versatility, and defense.
The shot just hasn’t come with him yet, and it raises the obvious question of whether he’ll turn into the consistent three-point threat he looked like for Denver in January. A full season over 40 percent from deep may not be in the cards.
So yes, there will be moments when Nuggets fans look at Watson and wonder what might have been. But if that blistering January was the outlier, Denver’s decision becomes a lot easier to defend.
And the Nuggets have at least one early counterargument working in their favor. Rookie Trevon Brazile is settling in as a Watson replacement at a much lower price, and he’s already shooting 33.3 percent from three.
That’s closer to his college number of 35.1 percent, and it should rise as he gets more comfortable. Small sample or not, he looks like he could be a better shooter sooner.
It’s still way too early to say Denver is better off without Watson. But if you’re searching for reasons to feel good about how things turned out, there are a few starting to show up.
In Other News...
Nuggets May Have Found The Frontcourt Defender They Desperately Needed
Trevon Brazile has given the Nuggets something they have been searching for early this season: a frontcourt defender who can change possessions with length, activity and athleticism. The rookie has already stood out in Denvers recent games, including a strong showing against the New Orleans Pelicans, where his presence helped make life harder for opposing shooters and added a different kind of energy to the rotation.
What has made Brazile especially intriguing is how quickly his defense has translated to the NBA level. He has been limiting opponents efficiency and giving Denver a sturdier look on that end of the floor, which matters for a team trying to build consistency around its bigger lineups. The bigger question now is whether this early impact is the start of a real role, or just the first glimpse of what he can become. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Braun Is Starting To Quiet A Big Nuggets Concern
Christian Brauns early-season jump is starting to ease one of the Nuggets quieter concerns. After working back from injury, he has looked more active on both ends, giving Denver the kind of perimeter energy it needs while also showing signs that his offense is expanding beyond the basics. The defensive impact has been especially noticeable, with Braun averaging 2.3 steals per game and looking more comfortable sliding into the role the team envisioned for him.
The offensive growth matters just as much for a roster that needs reliable two-way production around its stars. Braun has shown more variety in how he scores, including a willingness to get to mid-range spots and make plays for others, which helps explain why his recent form has stood out. If this is the version of Braun Denver gets consistently, it goes a long way toward making his contract look like a smart bet rather than a lingering question. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Injury Strategy Is Raising A Frustrating Question For Fans
Last seasons injury grind put the Nuggets through a long stretch of lineup instability, with the starting five missing a combined 136 games. For a team built to contend, that kind of disruption is hard enough on its own, but it also sharpened the focus on how Denver manages the return of injured players and how much caution it applies before sending them back out there.
Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson all came back from injuries last season only to run into fresh setbacks soon after, which only deepened the frustration around the process. For fans, the question is less about whether the Nuggets are being careful and more about whether that caution is helping them avoid bigger problems or simply stretching out the absence of key rotation pieces. [Read more 🡒]