Peyton Watson

Consider the list of players to compile at least 100 “stocks” — steals plus blocks — and at first glance, Defensive Player of the Year candidates and high-minute starters are likely to immediately stand out. On January 19, 2025, Cole Anthony and the overly-ambitious Orlando Magic got a memorable glimpse of one of the rare players in that bunch to accumulate his top-of-the-league numbers as a reserve. Out, perhaps, to avenge the loss the Denver Nuggets took during the midcourt jump ball, Watson challenges the former Slam Dunk Contest participant to a battle of vertical jumps, winning the battle by emphatically sending Anthony’s jam away. Something of a master in help-side rejections, Watson’s two-way impact was vital in the interconference win. The physical denial would be Watson’s final play in this game, but the 12-minute appearance allowed for an impressive four-point, two-rebound, one-assist, three-block finish.