Peyton Watson

If the Atlanta Hawks had any “new year, new me” aspirations during 2025’s first day of the calendar year, they were certainly in for a rude awakening against Peyton Watson’s energy. Tightening the Denver Nuggets’ defensive clamps, even with the Mile High nursing a 23-point second half lead, Watson maintains discipline, mirroring DeAndre Hunter’s quick steps before encouraging a misfire on a 16-footer. Eager for something extra during his transition floor race, Watson finds his two-way hustle rewarded with an alley-oop lob, turning opportunities into a reverse jam for the highlight reels. En fuego and in-sync on both ends of the floor, Denver pieced together a 139-point outburst, kicking the year off correctly with a home victory. Perfectly comfortable in the fast-paced setting between two up-and-down offenses, Watson parlayed his chances into 11 points, one assist, two steals, one block, and a 3-pointer, alongside four shot contests and a game-high four deflections on January 1, 2025.