Denver Nuggets talk Peyton Watson’s first start + Nikola Jokic PERFECT Triple-Double

Denver Nuggets talk Peyton Watson’s first start + Nikola Jokic PERFECT Triple-Double

Good evening Pon just curious did you change your alter your shot at all this offseason uh not this off season but I started with it last year working with my shooting coach here Mike pin bery and we just made some small adjustments uh to my base and then a little bit on my

Release as well but honestly the one thing that I think has changed more than anything it’s just my confidence in that shot from the Reps I put in hey is there a better feeling than when somebody dares you as often as they do tonight to make your shot that

It goes in and you’re able to take part in a victory like way oh yeah I loved it I loved it um it made my job easy um I knew I was going to be open I knew they were sagging off me so you know I took

It his Des disrespect and I shot everyone confidently how did things go for you today to find out you were starting what was what was that process like um it was really something um I found out in walk through today before the game but I was prepared for anything I knew there was

Going to be an increase in minutes regardless so I was just ready to go out there and carry my own weight and um helping AG’s absence Nicole achieved a perfect triple double tonight um first of all have you ever seen that before or anything close to that I’d never seen a triple double

Before until I played with him and now I see him all the time so it’s pretty impressive every time but to go perfect shooting it’s just unreal and it’s just a testament to the work he puts in you know he went in went on a little shooting slump you know some weeks back

And a lot of people kind of turned on him I’m like nah man he going to be right back to that level of play so it’s something that we expect out of him at this point and he expects it of himself so great night for him he we talked in

Phoenix last year about you going up against Kevin Durant how much you relish going up against some of these guys you grew up watching I know jiren Jackson’s a lot younger but he’s got a lot of claim do you do you kind of love going up against the guy guy that’s gotten

Some honor and some awards next to his name absolutely absolutely um I’ve been in a lot of MBP PA meetings when he was there and he’s always been super solid dude super cool to me so it’s always fun to see him and match up with him but

Like you said um he’s accomplished a lot in his young career and it’s something that I strive to do he’s been defensive player of the year he’s been an Allstar and those are things that I strive to do so definitely um inspires me to go out

There and do that and inspires me to come out and play my hardest as well that’s good of a game as it was for you felt like it was a little bit of a tough start in the first five or six minutes what what did you hear from guys on the

Bench when when Justin comes in for you middle first quarter uh just keep shooting keep your head up keep shooting um keep the energy up you know my teammates only do don’t do anything but instill confidence in me um they got a lot of faith in me and I got a lot of

Faith in myself so when that first couple of minutes was Rocky I wasn’t worried at all um I wasn’t discouraged I was actually happy cuz I couldn’t wait to get back in the game so um that’s all they were saying to me coach Malone was very praiseful of you saying you’re a

Key component for the future of this team how how does it feel to hear comments like that from from the coach I mean it means the world to hear that type of stuff and honestly just for him to trust me um at 21 years old to come

Out and start for the reigning Champs I mean that’s big time and it does a lot for my confidence but it also puts confidence in him that I go out there and I’m ready to perform so um Malone’s my guy um he’s taught me a lot of

Lessons that I needed to learn and I I couldn’t thank him enough for the confidence that he’s put in me it’s done a lot for my game and hopefully I can return that and do a lot for the team and him is there an example maybe of because we’ve talked about developments

A lot and talked about just building for the future and building over time is there is there an example maybe over the first 30 or so games of the Season where you know something now that you didn’t know before absolutely I think game to game I learned learn things like that

Like and my biggest thing is to never make the same mistake twice so I just go out there learn as much as I can and thank God I came to a team with good vets and um great staff where they’ll teach me those little things and those

Things that I need to know that go beyond the game those little nuances they mean the world and it helps me get ahead so I’ve learned a lot 30 games in the season we got 50 to go so can’t wait how’s uh your life since the commercial

Came out with you and nicoa what’s going on there people hit me every day since it’s come out and say that they see me on TV so it’s hilarious to me but it’s one of those things you dream about as a kid and to have that opportunity

Especially so young and early in my career means a lot and I’m looking forward to do more doing more things like that it looked pretty funny that’s it was fun it was the most it was the most fun thing I did this preseason uh me and Joker um filming at that hotel um

It was just funny from start the finish of the day we were shooting for 10 hours but it didn’t even feel like that long do do you feel like you should learn from Nicole just’s routine with whatever he does you know yeah yeah he knows he

Knows this and you know me and him communicate a lot but I’ve been watching everything he does since the first day I arrived here how early he gets here when he leaves how serious he takes his treatment how he treats everybody what type of leader he is verbally and

Non-verbally and I just want to pick up as much as I can in because it’s you know I’m blessed to be able to play one of the best players ever to take touch a basketball so I would never take that for granted I’m very attentive season High 142

Points so good off great defense what was the big key I think it was a little bit of both I feel like we came here with a good focus in terms our business early understanding that yeah J is out but you know they’re still a great team

And we got to attack them so I like early on we got to go on and just rode that through the second half P want still guy learns Way start obviously one a to come back and help all would you you see him do that oh just being himself and and that’s what

Makes me happy as his teammate I want to see him FL and succeed so you know see him take shots with confidence uh affect the game on defense which he always does uh it’s fun you know I’m just really proud of him and you know how he’s

Growing as a player over the season what do you learn in your first 35 games of your NBA career uh that it’s not going to be easy it’s not going uh always go the way I want to and there going to be a lot of ups and downs but it’s about

Kind of you know staying levelheaded and you know understanding that I got a group of guys coach that that believe in me you know through the business it makes or you know the Great Moments or the bad ones so uh that’s what really keeps me going with that dunk you surpris

Anybody uh I feel like you know I’m not just I’m not a dunker so when I do do it I think it catch people off guard but it’s all there maybe I’ll start pulling it out a little bit more thank you buddy yeah to only allow 105 so which is better

Offens defense it’s hard to say but I’m just happy with the way we competed defensively D was out don’t let up so I’m proud way this team came out made sure to lock guys stepped up missing here play well T night Justin was ready I

Think yeah I love that we had as many well sh the ball play but I was proud of came out and still make sure def I se a lot all the young guys kind of kind of go towards you and everything else when you see a guy pton who gets gets a start

You know got of surprise and all that stuff and play as well as he did pretty happy for him oh definitely happy for him try to preach to him glad that everybody got to see the work that he’s been putting in I think we see him stack throughout the season

So I think he’s only going to continue get better and U yeah I’m just super excited for him especially the way he came out aggressive shooting he didn’t let the they play defense dictate to him he didn’t necessar shot with the moment and even amongst the of missing a few early

Contin lock in play defensively so that’s really what I was proud of he understands role he’s going to be aggressive he’s only going to continue get better but the way that he honed his get 16 triple double 11th this year here’s what’s walk think is 36 before the fourth quarter in in his

Career too so he’s doing work ear what you think his performance tonight no he was special uh he really controlled the game he came out he was ready to play he already dominated from the beginning um 11 of especially unheard of after what I think he had 18 of 18 Freo game last

Game yeah guy’s special like I said I never take it for granted I hope none of us do but the way that he commanded the whole game especially did defensively defle helping keep guys guessing in our paint um doing all he did really for us for the team running the score the way

That they did um was impressive so in this backup DeAndre I mean how special is DeAndre right now oh that’s my guy DeAndre is always special he’s always ready he does everything that we need him to do um the energy in lock room he’s definitely our coach in hakar room

One of them big brother but when he gets out there and it’s time form he always shines bright under light so from rebounds from making sure the second unit that we ready commanding our defense um really set screens allowing us to get downhill defensive rebounding allowing us to get into transition and

Second or something that you know um we’ve been getting better at and that’s really we flourish no he was spectacular you he was spectacular no I appreciate it what are you telling P when the defense just leaving him open and they’re kind of just daring the SHO like

What’s your guys message to him stay aggressive stay aggressive keep trusting in yourself keep trusting in your work and um shoot you got two of them I think shot four or 10 he had two of them that went all the way down and came out so just keep trusting your work and

Um yeah shoot shoot it don’t be afraid of the moment and just continue to play the way he’s been playing have you been able to reach out to a at all yeah got to talk to my guy a little bit he’s still in High Spirits man that’s Aaron

Aaron is still concerned about the team um everything he wants to be back with the group but man we just want what’s best for him we want him to be mentally physically good I got you big homie so we just want him to be fully you know

Great um in High Spirits all right baby keep going and whenever he’s ready then like we’re going to welcome him with open arms but we definitely miss him going hit him up here again soon man that’s that’s my guy so I just miss talking X has he told you how long you

Might be out for it nah man it’s not about that right now it’s just whenever he’s ready honestly it’s whenever he’s ready but you know we just want to make sure he’s all good and uh like I said we’re going to welc him open arm oh no no problem

Julian Stawther, Reggie Jackson, & Peyton Watson press conference after Nikola Jokic’s perfect triple-double and Denver Nugget’s 142-105 win over Ja Morant and Memphis Grizzlies. Peyton Watson: “I knew I was going to be open. I knew they were sagging off me, so I took it as disrespecting my shot.” Reggie Jackson on Peyton Watson: “He didn’t shy away from the moment.” Julian Strawther: “I’m not a dunker, so when I do it, I think it catches people off guard. But maybe I’ll start pulling it out a little more.”

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Peyton Watson
5:37 Julian Stawther
7:00 Reggie Jackson

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