Peyton Watson says his absence from the 2026 NBA playoffs adopted a troublesome hamstring rehabilitation by which he felt stress to return earlier than he was totally comfy together with his restoration.
Talking with former teammate Michael Porter Jr. on Curious Mike, Watson described the emotional impression of struggling a Grade 2 left hamstring pressure after what had been the perfect season of his NBA profession.
“It was actually, actually powerful, all the strategy of my rehab,” Watson mentioned, through HoopsHype. “Clearly, once I bought injured in New York, it was only a sickening feeling as a result of I used to be as much as win Most Improved Participant award and up for lots of stuff. It actually harm.”
Watson averaged profession highs of 14.6 factors, 4.9 rebounds and a pair of.1 assists in 54 video games for Denver, together with 40 begins. He shot 49.1% from the sphere and 41.1% from three-point vary on 3.6 makes an attempt per recreation.
The 23-year-old mentioned he felt Denver accelerated his rehabilitation a number of weeks after the harm.
“Two or three weeks into my rehab, I felt like they have been ramping me again up too shortly,” Watson mentioned. “However on the identical time, I do know that I’m younger, and I do heal fairly quick.”
Watson mentioned he skilled one other concern whereas working his approach again onto the court docket with the teaching employees.
“Two or three weeks into my hamstring rehab, I used to be on the market enjoying with the coaches and I simply felt somewhat tweak,” Watson mentioned. “I felt like that was form of a minor setback that I didn’t actually need to settle for.”
He additionally acknowledged feeling stress to return earlier than the postseason.
“I bear in mind feeling stress to get again and get some video games below my belt to heat up earlier than the playoffs,” Watson mentioned.
Watson finally returned after lacking greater than six weeks and appeared in 5 video games on restricted minutes, however Denver shut him down once more in early April. He didn’t play within the postseason because the third-seeded Nuggets misplaced their first-round sequence to Minnesota in six video games.
His agent, Klutch Sports activities CEO Wealthy Paul, later said he discouraged Watson from returning due to the dangers related to soft-tissue accidents. Paul mentioned gamers generally must be protected against their very own want to compete, notably when a postseason run and an upcoming contract are concerned.
The state of affairs drew extra consideration as a result of Aaron Gordon was additionally coping with a hamstring harm however appeared in three playoff video games. Some throughout the Nuggets reportedly believed Watson may have returned, whereas Watson’s feedback present extra element concerning the setbacks he skilled throughout rehabilitation.
Watson entered the offseason searching for a big increase after his breakout 12 months. Denver reportedly supplied 4 years and $70 million earlier than finally moving him to Cleveland in an August sign-and-trade.
