The Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets head to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Friday night.
Despite missing their superstar, Denver has remained surprisingly steady since falling in late December, going 7-5 into Thursday night’s game against the Wizards in Washington, DC.
What’s even more incredible is that Jokic is far from the only key player dealing with 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 sudden rise of Peyton Watson has been an important part of the story.
Watson, a 30th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, was a secondary player throughout his young career but 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-highest on the team over that stretch behind Murray.
He also does it with great efficiency, 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 in the second half of a back-to-back, Watson should still have a chance at a big game against a shaky Bucks defense.
Milwaukee has the 10th-worst defensive net rating in the league heading into Thursday’s game.
Bet on the NBA?
The last time these two teams faced off earlier this month, Watson dropped 19 points while making four of his six 3-pointers.
Bet on the quiet rise of this Nuggets kid.
The play: Peyton Watson over 18.5 points (-110, DraftKings)
Why trust New York Post betting
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst in many sports. He especially has a lot of knowledge of the big three: MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
#Nuggets #Bucks #prediction #Friday #NBA #picks #odds