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Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets
After missing 19 straight games due to a right hamstring injury, Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets returned on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Watson was having the best stretch of his young career before going down on February 4.
Under a minutes restriction, Watson was able to provide 14 points, six rebounds and three assists in the Nuggets’ 128-112 win. He went 6-for-13 from the field, including 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
It will likely take a few games for Watson to get his rhythm back and for the Nuggets to give him more playing time. The Nuggets now have a healthy roster heading into the final stretch of the regular season. They have 10 games remaining, seven of which will be played at the Ball Arena.
Nuggets Announce Watson’s Injury Status
Despite a successful return on Sunday, the Nuggets announced in their official injury report that Watson will be out against the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets are playing the first game of a back-to-back, so they want their young forward available for the Dallas Mavericks matchup on Wednesday.
It’s a common practice for teams to rest players who recently returned from injuries in either half of back-to-back games. The Nuggets are just being cautious with Watson, who missed 19 games due to a right hamstring strain.
The franchise has dealt with hamstring strains over the past year, mainly with Aaron Gordon, who has suffered three separate hamstring strain injuries since last year’s playoffs.
Watson on His Return From Injury
Speaking to reporters after the game, Watson opened up about his recovery and return from a hamstring injury. He had a lot of good energy ahead of his first game back, and he was just happy to be back on the court.
“It was hard for me to sleep last night,” Watson said. “I was just anticipating this day for a long time, obviously. You never know what to expect with the rehab process, and it was really tough for me at times. But I’m glad that I was able to push through it. I’m glad we have the training staff that we do, getting me back to full health, and I’m ready to continue to contribute for us.”
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic preached patience to Watson. Jokic wants him to get back into playing shape, but he will need some time. He was happy to see him back on the court, praising his good energy, as reported by Jared Koch of Sports Illustrated.
Restricted Free Agency Awaits Watson This Summer
As a starter this season, Watson is averaging 17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He filled in quite nicely while the Nuggets dealt with injuries to Gordon, Jokic, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun and more.
The young forward developed a partnership with Jamal Murray to keep the Nuggets afloat. He will look to get a big payday this offseason as he enters restricted free agency. The Nuggets can match any offers to him, but they likely need to shed some cap space if they don’t want to get restricted by the second apron.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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