Peyton Watson
Watson with UCLA in 2021
No. 8 – Denver Nuggets
PositionShooting guard / small forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-09-11) September 11, 2002
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolLong Beach Poly
(Long Beach, California)
CollegeUCLA (2021–2022)
NBA draft2022: 1st round, 30th overall pick
Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–presentDenver Nuggets
2022–2023→Grand Rapids Gold
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold medal – first place2021 LatviaTeam

Peyton Tyler Watson (born September 11, 2002[1]) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A McDonald's All-American in high school, he played one season of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Watson was selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft with the 30th overall pick.

High school career

Watson attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, joining the varsity team as a freshman.[2] After coming off the bench earlier in his career,[3] he assumed a leading role in his junior season.[4] He averaged 23.2 points and eight rebounds per game,[5] earning Moore League MVP honors.[6] He was named to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.[7]

Recruiting

Watson was a consensus five-star recruit, one of the top small forwards and the highest-ranked player from California in the 2021 recruiting class.[8] On July 27, 2020, he committed to playing college basketball for UCLA over offers from Arizona, Gonzaga, Michigan, Oregon and Washington.[9] He was frank with the Bruins coaching staff that he intended to be a one-and-done player, leaving for the NBA after one year in college.[10]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Peyton Watson
SF		 Long Beach, CA Long Beach Poly (CA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul 27, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 94
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 12  247Sports: 8  ESPN: 12
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "UCLA 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  • "2021 UCLA Bruins Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.

College career

As a freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2021–22, Watson arrived out of shape, primarily due to his high school senior season being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] He joined an experienced UCLA group that had advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament a year earlier.[11] All five starters returned, and he received no guarantees about his playing time.[12] Watson's defense was more advanced than his offense. However, the Bruins had other established scorers.[11] He received honorable mention for the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.[13] He averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game, and made just 32.2% of his field goals and 22.6% of his 3-pointers. His playing time was sporadic, and he logged 10 minutes or more in just two out of the last seven games of the season.[14] After the season, Watson declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[15]

Professional career

Watson was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in first round of the 2022 NBA draft with the 30th overall pick.[16] He was then traded to the Denver Nuggets along with two future second-round picks for JaMychal Green and a 2027 protected first-round draft pick.[17] Possessing a wide wingspan, Watson was projected as a long-term project and expected to spend time developing with the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League.[18] Watson ended his rookie season as an NBA champion when the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

National team career

Watson represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia. He averaged four points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[19]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022–23† Denver 2328.1.492.429.5501.6.5.1.53.3
Career 2328.1.492.429.5501.6.5.1.53.3

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023† Denver 502.7.400.500–.8.2.0.21.0
Career 502.7.400.500–.8.2.0.21.0

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 UCLA 32012.7.322.226.6882.9.8.6.63.3

Source: [20]

Personal life

Watson's father, Julio, is a medical device representative, and his mother is an event planner. He has a younger brother, Christian, who plays basketball at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and a younger sister, Jolie Grace.[21]

References

  1. ↑ "Peyton Watson". fiba.basketball. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  2. ↑ Bien-Kahn, Joseph (June 11, 2020). "Peyton Watson's Crash Course in Stardom". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  3. ↑ Morales, Robert (December 30, 2019). "Long Beach Poly guard Peyton Watson helping young Jackrabbits grow". Press-Telegram. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  4. ↑ Guardabascio, Mike (July 9, 2019). "Next One Up: Peyton Watson, Long Beach Poly Basketball". The 562. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  5. ↑ "USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Los Angeles boys basketball nominees". USA Today. April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  6. ↑ Morales, Robert (April 23, 2021). "UCLA's tournament run brought joy to Long Beach Poly coach Shelton Diggs". Press-Telegram. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  7. ↑ Guardabascio, Mike (February 24, 2021). "Long Beach Poly's Peyton Watson Named McDonald's All-American". The 562. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  8. ↑ Bolch, Ben (July 27, 2020). "Familiarity breeds content as top prospect Peyton Watson picks UCLA". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  9. ↑ Borzello, Jeff (July 27, 2020). "Top California prospect Peyton Watson commits to UCLA". ESPN. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  10. 1 2 Davis, Seth (June 24, 2022). "What Peyton Watson brings to the Denver Nuggets: 'The mystery man of the draft'". The Athletic. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Bolch, Ben (February 2, 2022). "Making defense seem elementary, Peyton Watson quickly becomes a UCLA star". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ DeCourcy, Mike (November 23, 2021). "Top freshman Peyton Watson takes shot at helping UCLA skip First Four and head straight toward Final Four". Sporting News. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  13. ↑ Allen, Trevor (March 8, 2022). "Utah Basketball Standouts Carlson, Stefanovic Receive All-Pac-12 Honors". KSLSports.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  14. ↑ Bolch, Ben (April 12, 2022). "Peyton Watson announces he's leaving UCLA after one season, entering NBA draft". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  15. ↑ Royer, Benjamin (April 12, 2022). "UCLA Men's Basketball G/F Peyton Watson Declares For 2022 NBA Draft, To Hire Agent". Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  16. ↑ Grosbard, Adam (June 23, 2022). "NBA Draft: UCLA's Peyton Watson to Nuggets, USC's Isaiah Mobley to Cavs". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  17. ↑ Gutterman, Ron (June 23, 2022). "Nuggets Acquire Peyton Watson In Trade With Thunder". NBA.com. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  18. ↑ Singer, Mike (July 25, 2022). "Nuggets rookie Peyton Watson flashes vast potential at Summer League showcase". The Denver Post. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Peyton Watson (USA)'s profile – FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2021". FIBA. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Peyton Watson College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  21. ↑ Archbold, Rich (December 4, 2020). "Peyton Watson, Poly High star, helps Long Beach Boys & Girls Clubs; you can help, too!". Press-Telegram. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
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