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The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly one of the leading candidates to get their hands on Peyton Watson. The Denver Nuggets forward broke out during a stretch last season, and they may not have the financial flexibility to retain him. Even if they did, the Nuggets won't play him over Aaron Gordon. As such, Watson will look for the opportunities he may not get in Colorado, especially after getting a taste of big minutes when Gordon was hurt. Nevertheless, the sample size is way too small for the Cavs to blindly trust him to be the guy they need. What if this was just a good-old Linsanity run? What if he's not the same dominant two-way contributor he looked like in January? Peyton Watson's January numbers don't tell the whole story As Bleacher Report analyst Andy Bailey pointed out on X, Watson's career numbers without that hot 15-game stretch from January aren't that impressive. He averaged just 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks, 0.8 turnovers, and 9.6 steals per game on 47.7 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from three. Notably, that's a far cry from the 21.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game on 49 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc he averaged during that blazing hot stretch as a spot-on starter. Of course, one doesn't have to be a basketball savant to come to the conclusion that more playing time leads to more production and a better offensive rhythm. Then again, the sample size is just too small to justify making a huge financial commitment. Granted, it's not like the Cavs' front office hasn't done its due diligence on him. They have their own advanced metrics, video crew, and coaching staff to determine whether he'll be a good fit and how to use him to the best of his capacities. Also, his averages per 36 numbers aren't that bad: 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 stocks per game in his career, per Basketball Reference. He also averages 19.3 points, 7.8 boards, 3.0 dimes, 1.4 steals, and 2.5 swats per 100 possessions. But again, that begs the question: Was he a byproduct of Nikola Jokic's gravity and stellar playmaking? Did he benefit from the Nuggets' slash-heavy offense by getting to the dunker's spot and capitalizing on wide-open looks? There's plenty of evidence that suggests otherwise, and you can't teach motor. He's a fearless competitor, and he definitely deserves a chance. Whether he'll be able to live up to the hype, however, might be a different story.