The Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets head to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Friday night.
Despite missing their superstar, Denver has surprisingly held steady since he went down in late December, going 7-5 heading into Thursday night’s game against the Wizards in Washington, D.C.
What’s even more unbelievable is that Jokic is far from the only key rotation piece dealing with an injury.
Cam Johnson, Christian Braun, and Jonas Valanciunas have also missed time, while Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray are dealing with nagging injuries of their own.
The out-of-nowhere emergence of Peyton Watson has been a major part of the story.
Watson, a 30th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has been a minor bench piece throughout his young career, but he has come into his own with Jokic sidelined.
In 12 games without Jokic on the court, Watson is averaging 22.1 points per game, which is the second-most on the team over that stretch behind Murray.
He’s doing it with some strong efficiency as well, shooting 49.5 percent overall and 41.9 percent from deep on 5.2 three-point attempts per game.
With several Nuggets questionable for Friday night on the second-half of a back-to-back, Watson should have yet another chance for a big game against a shaky Bucks defense.
Milwaukee has the 10th-worst defensive net rating in the league heading into Thursday’s play.
Betting on the NBA?
Last time these two teams faced off earlier this month, Watson dropped 19 points while making four of his six three-pointers.
Bet on the quiet emergence of this Nuggets youngster.
The play: Peyton Watson over 18.5 points (-110, DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
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