With his shot-blocking prowess, Peyton Watson becomes big catalyst off the bench for the Nuggets

High-rising Peyton Watson takes the elevation of his role in stride this season. The second-year bundle of energy who comes off the bench for the Denver Nuggets has been a shot-swatting, rebound-grabbing catalyst for a team that's chasing a second straight NBA title. More recognizable these days — thanks to co-starring in a funny hotel commercial alongside two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a pony — Watson sometimes cautions himself not to be in too big of a rush, to enjoy each moment of this journey. It's a seasoned outlook for the 21-year-old player who was taken under the wing of Kevin Durant in high school and mentored by Jokic and company once he got to the NBA.