The Denver Nuggets continue to add to their winning record with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. The team was once again led by their superstar duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. For head coach Michael Malone, however, one player's performance continues to show how he's slowly becoming a key piece for the Nuggets: Peyton Watson.

After the game, Malone commended the sophomore's growth, stating how Watson has evolved from being a defensive cog to a “complete basketball player.”

“We've made a full commitment to playing Peyton and Julian (Strawther),” Malone said via Denver Sports' Jake Shapiro. “I think Peyton's learning curve and growth are just at a rapid rate right now. And initially, it was Peyton as a defender, and now you're getting Peyton as a complete basketball player.”

While Watson's 6.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game may not be mind-blowing numbers, his Thursday night outing proves just how much potential he has. Against the Grizzlies, Watson scored 20 points and hauled down 5 rebounds, finishing the game with a positive plus/minus rating of 24.

Following the game, the second-year forward out of UCLA mentioned how grateful he is to play on a Nuggets team alongside Jokic.

“I just want to pick up as much as I can (from Jokic) because I'm blessed to be able to play (with) one of the best players ever to touch a basketball so I would never take that for granted. I'm very attentive to everything that he does and I'm gonna continue to,” Watson said.

Peyton Watson is a rising weapon for the Nuggets, and will surely continue to flourish playing alongside the talent that surrounds him.