Peyton Watson's historic run is inspired by Kevin Durant's mentorship: "Kevin doesn't have an ego"
Peyton Watson has undoubtedly stepped up in the absence of Nikola Jokic , who is currently rehabbing from a knee injury.
The Denver Nuggets forward accounted for some impressive moments of late, including scoring a career-high 32 points against the New Orleans Pelicans .
Aside from the latest game against the Dallas Mavericks , Watson is averaging 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the absence of Joker. He is capitalizing on the moment, as evidenced by his improved long-range shooting as well.
Finally getting the spotlight, Peyton remains grateful to Kevin Durant , who has been mentoring the Nuggets forward since he was 16. Watson, who grew up admiring KD, could not have asked for a better mentor, recently sharing intricate details of their big-brother/little-brother-like relationship.
"Watson said that it was him (Durant) that helped him see that he could be skinny and still be a killer with that body type and that frame. When Watson was 16, KD saw him play, KD was impressed, invited him to play pick-up in the summer. Watson told us, 'It was an absolute dream come true,'" ESPN reported during their last game vs. the Dallas Mavericks.
When discussing Durant as his mentor, Watson highlighted certain key aspects.
"He's an amazing guy, he's so encouraging, even during the season, he'll text me, singing my praises. For him to keep up with me goes to show that Kevin doesn't have an ego and he's happy to see everyone succeed," added the UCLA product.
KD is proud of his protege
Peyton is indeed having his highlight moment. He recently joined the likes of Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant in a unique stat line: 125+ points, 15+ steals/blocks, 15+ 3-pointers made and 60.0+ 3-point percentage in a five-game span, which is definitely a historic run.
"Aye, Peyton Watson, you locked the f—k in my boy. It was only a matter of time," said KD in his Instagram story.
Durant has always been an advocate for Watson's talents. Back in 2024, the four-time scoring champion and former league MVP had the following to say about Jokic's young teammate.
"I love that he's (Watson) carving out a lane for himself, because in college, he didn't get a lot of minutes. He didn't play a lot. He got drafted purely off of talent, potential, his athleticism. He's somebody I've really got major respect for. I really want to see him do well."
When discussing his sudden surge, Watson opened up about his recent breakout with Jokic sidelined. The Nuggets forward felt staying patient worked in his case.
Getting his turn
Drafted in 2022, Watson did not receive much playing time for a while. That said, he was fortunate to win a championship in his rookie season with the Nuggets in 2023. As years passed, his minutes increased, with the recent stretch in the 2025-26 season probably the turning point of his career.
Peyton stated how he constantly itched to prove people wrong who doubted his abilities since college days. However, he did admit that waiting it out was the best thing for him.
"Waiting my turn was the best thing for me. I've gotten so much better. I've developed a lot; I've had time to mature as a young man. And right now, it feels like the perfect time to kinda unleash what I've been working on. So just having guys out and just having the necessity to step up, I think, has just been good for me," explained Watson.
Watson peaking is an encouraging sign for the Nuggets, who are often cited as the biggest contender in the West behind the Oklahoma City Thunder . Interestingly, the Nuggets did take the Thunder to a Game Seven in the 2025 West semifinals.
Now, with Watson firing on all cylinders, the outcome might be different in 2026.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
