The Denver Nuggets Are Creating A MONSTER
The Denver Nuggets aren’t supposed to look like this without Nikola Jokić.
Take away a franchise center—an MVP-caliber engine who bends defenses, organizes possessions, and stabilizes the half-court—and most contenders immediately tilt into survival mode. Offense slows down, shot quality drops, and close games become coin flips. For years, that has been the assumption around Denver: the roster is built to orbit Jokić, and when he’s out, the entire system should wobble.
Instead, Denver is winning.
Since Jokić went down in the loss to the Miami Heat, the Nuggets have rattled off three straight victories, including a bruising overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers while short-handed and, more impressively, a statement win over the Boston Celtics—who arrived playing some of their best basketball of the season.
Denver’s formula has been part grit, part execution, and part unexpected offense. Jamal Murray has done the quarterbacking, piling up points and playmaking. But the story that has begun to feel bigger than a hot streak is the emergence of Peyton Watson, who just delivered the kind of performance that changes how a team thinks about its future.
Watson erupted for 30 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks, shooting 10-of-15 from the field and an eye-popping 6-of-7 from three in 37 minutes. Against Boston’s defense, with NBA-level physicality and scouting attention, Watson didn’t just hit open shots. He looked comfortable taking—and making—shots that are usually reserved for established scorers.
And if this is what Watson can do when the team is shorthanded, the next question becomes unavoidable: What does this mean for Denver when Jokić returns?
Denver’s “No Jokić” Stretch: Not Pretty, but Effective
Denver’s recent wins without Jokić aren’t a carbon copy of their normal identity. The Nuggets are still smart, still disciplined, still purposeful. But the offense has leaned more heavily into Murray’s control, quicker actions, and a more aggressive wing approach—something they’ve had to do because they can’t rely on Jokić to manufacture a good look whenever a possession goes sideways.
That’s where the Celtics game mattered. It was a high-level test:
Boston brings size, switchability, and the ability to guard without fouling.
They can survive mismatches and punish sloppy offense.
They’re the kind of team that exposes opponents who rely too heavily on one creator.
Denver beat them anyway. Not with perfect basketball, but with enough scoring and enough stops to win a game that most teams would struggle to even keep close without their best player.
Jamal Murray’s Night: 22 Points, Career-High 17 Assists, Total Control
Murray’s line against Boston—22 points and a career-high 17 assists—was the clearest indicator of how Denver has survived this stretch.
His job wasn’t simply to score. It was to keep the Nuggets organized, to steer them away from empty possessions, and to make sure Denver’s supporting players were getting their touches in rhythm. The assist total reflects a specific kind of leadership: Murray didn’t hunt shots at the expense of flow. He hunted advantages and distributed.
In a Jokić-less system, that matters even more. The Nuggets can’t just “find Nikola” late in the clock. Murray has to create structure.
He did that—and his biggest beneficiary was Watson.
Peyton Watson’s Breakout: 30 Points, Six Threes, Two-Way Impact
Watson’s stat line jumps out immediately, but the significance is deeper than the numbers.
For most of his early NBA career, Watson’s identity has been defined by defense: athletic tools, length, energy, and the ability to guard multiple positions. Teams believed he could stay on the floor because he could defend and run. The question was always what he could provide offensively—especially in games where Denver needed a wing to score rather than simply finish plays.
Against Boston, Watson answered loudly.
6-of-7 from three isn’t just efficient—it’s a heater that flips a game.
10-of-15 overall suggests he was picking the right shots, not forcing them.
Two blocks reinforces that his impact wasn’t one-way.
Denver doesn’t beat Boston without Watson’s shooting. That isn’t hype; it’s math. In a game against a top defense, those made threes are possessions Denver typically struggles to manufacture without Jokić’s playmaking.
Watson didn’t just hit shots. He became the scoring lever that kept Boston from shrinking the floor and loading up on Murray.
The Bigger Trend: Watson’s Last Five Games Look Like a New Player
The Celtics performance wasn’t an isolated outlier. Watson has been stacking production during this injury stretch.
Over his last five games, he has reportedly averaged around:
24.4 points per game
5.8 rebounds per game
and elite shooting splits across the board (including strong three-point accuracy)
Whether those exact percentages stabilize long term is less important than the signal: Watson isn’t scoring 20-plus by accident. He’s scoring because his role has expanded, his confidence has risen, and Denver has put him in actions that allow him to use his athletic advantages.
This is how developmental leaps often look: first the opportunity appears (injuries, lineup shifts), then the player proves he can survive it, then suddenly the team has to re-evaluate what it thought it had.
Denver is in that phase right now.
Why This Is Happening: The Role Expansion Is Real
Denver has been using Watson in more varied ways:
1) Spot-up shooting with real intent
Watson isn’t just standing in the corner hoping for a late-clock swing. He’s getting looks in rhythm, and he’s shooting decisively.
2) More involvement as a roller and cutter
With Murray running more pick-and-roll, Denver can use Watson’s athleticism as a pressure point—whether as a cutter behind the defense or a quick screener slipping into open space.
3) Initiating actions instead of being a passenger
The key change in the “Jokić out” stretch is that Denver needs more self-creation from the wing. Watson has responded by being more assertive, attacking closeouts, and looking comfortable taking on possessions that previously might have gone elsewhere.
The result is a version of Watson that looks less like a specialist and more like a developing two-way weapon.
The Jokic Clip: A Small Moment That Fits the Pattern
A short video circulated on social media showing Watson receiving direct coaching from Jokić—listening closely, engaged, visibly absorbing instruction.
Clips like that can be overplayed in NBA discourse, but they matter for one reason: they match what Denver has built its culture around. The Nuggets are not a franchise that turns young players into stars by accident. They have a system, continuity, and a team identity that rewards learning and detail.
Watson’s improvement doesn’t have to be traced to one clip to be meaningful. But the symbolism lands: a young player with tools, now adding polish, in an environment built to teach.
That’s how a “raw athlete” becomes an NBA piece who wins playoff minutes.
“Pay Him”: Why Denver’s Financial Pressure Is Now Part of the Story
Watson’s surge arrives at an awkward time for Denver’s books.
The Nuggets, like several contenders, are navigating the realities of the NBA’s stricter team-building rules and luxury tax penalties. Teams near the top spenders face limitations that make roster maintenance harder: fewer mechanisms to replace talent, less flexibility, and increasingly difficult choices about who to retain.
That’s why Watson’s breakout matters beyond wins in January.
If Watson is becoming what he looks like—a young, two-way wing with real offensive upside—then Denver cannot treat him like a replaceable bench piece. Wings who defend and score don’t come cheap, and they don’t usually become available when you’re capped out and living near apron restrictions.
This is the type of player contenders either develop internally or overpay for externally. Denver has a chance to keep him because it grew him.
But it will likely require commitment—and planning.
What Watson Could Be When Denver Is Healthy
If Jokić returns as expected near the end of January, Denver’s rotation could suddenly become far more dangerous.
Think of the value of Watson as a bench weapon when:
defenses are already stretched by Jokić’s playmaking
Murray is attacking tilted coverage
opponents can’t load up on one creator
and Watson can hunt mismatches against second units
That’s how contenders separate. Not by having one star—by having layers.
If Watson’s shooting holds even at a “good, not nuclear” level, his athletic defense plus functional spacing becomes the kind of two-way profile teams chase every postseason. It’s also the kind of player who can close games depending on matchups—especially if he can credibly guard elite wings while staying on the floor offensively.
Denver’s Takeaway From This Stretch: They’re Building More Than Insurance
These three wins without Jokić don’t mean Denver is “better” without him. They mean something more practical:
the Nuggets have enough structure to survive short absences
Murray can pilot the team through tough minutes
and Watson is developing into a legitimate difference-maker
The Celtics win, in particular, sends a message: Denver’s identity isn’t only one player. It is one player plus a system—and now, potentially, a young wing emerging at the right time.
The most important part is sustainability. If Watson regresses when Jokić returns because his usage drops, the breakout becomes a fun story. If he maintains impact—defense, cutting, timely threes—then Denver has solved one of the hardest problems for contenders: adding meaningful upside without a trade.
