The Cavaliers acquired Peyton Watson because they believe he can give them something they were missing. A few days into training camp, coach Kenny Atkinson is already noticing it.
“If I give you a one-word answer, it would be activity,” Atkinson told reporters Friday in Spain. “He looks like one of these guys that he’s super active, kind of on both sides of the ball.”
That sounds simple. It also sounds an awful lot like what the Cavs had in mind when they acquired Watson from the Nuggets this summer.
They wanted more size and athleticism on the wing, particularly someone capable of affecting possessions without needing the ball. Watson can defend multiple positions, get out in transition, cut, rebound and generally make himself noticeable.
In other words, yeah … activity. Of course, Watson is also learning an entirely new system after spending his first four NBA seasons in Denver. Atkinson said that part remains a work in progress.
“Just adapting, right? Adapting to what we are doing,” he said. “I think that he’s still in the learning phase, learning what we’re doing.”
That’s what training camp is for. The Cavs don’t need Watson to understand everything in October. They need him to eventually become the long, athletic two-way wing they’ve spent years trying to find.
Nobody is declaring victory after a few practices in Spain. But when the first word out of Atkinson’s mouth is exactly what Cleveland hoped Watson would bring, it’s probably not a bad place to start.
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