There’s a picture hanging in Peyton Watson’s locker showing the type of defender the second-year Denver Nuggets wing wants to become.

It’s not of Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James or any of the NBA best wing defenders in recent history. It’s not even a basketball player. It’s Deion Sanders, whose framed portrait sits behind the stacks of Jordan brand sneakers in front of Watson’s locker.

“I just thought it was the most admirable thing that teams would literally throw away from his side

(first) through (third) downs. Then, on fourth down, (they) punt out of bounds so he couldn’t return it. Like, you can’t even let this guy get involved in the game,” Watson said prior to Friday’s game against the Rockets.

“I admire the mentality and how he approached the game.”

Watson, born in 2002, is too young to remember much of Sanders’ playing career, which ended in 2005. His father, Julio, told his son about the shut-down corner’s mentality and showed him Primetime’s highlights to give his son an idea of what he missed.

Now, Watson’s out to become Denver’s shut-down defender in his second professional season. He’s made solid progress toward his goal. There were flashes of what could be during his rookie year, especially late in the regular season. To carve out a more consistent role in Year 2, Watson said he focused on his mental discipline and physical strength in the offseason. The next step is improving his conditioning. He believes that will allow him to extend his minutes and make the right plays when the Nuggets need him most.

“It’s easy to do it sometimes, and it’s a little bit harder to do it most of the time,” Watson said. “But to do it every time, you’ve got to be in a different level of shape.” The Nuggets needed their 21-year-old last Friday in Phoenix. Suns star Kevin Durant scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half. In the second half, he got a steady dose of Watson, who was the primary defender as Durant finished 8 of 25 from the field. The next night in Sacramento, Nuggets coach Michael Malone used the 6-foot-7 wing to defend De’aaron Fox, the

Kings’ All-star point guard.

“Peyton’s been playing really well for us, showing his ability to guard guys like Kevin Durant one night and then De’aaron Fox the very next night and doing a really good job,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the Nuggets headed to Los Angeles, Watson’s hometown, to take on the Clippers and their stable of skilled guards and wings. Watson spent time on James Harden, Paul George and

Kawhi Leonard and continued to make his case as one of the game’s best young defenders. Prior to the trip to Los Angeles, Kentavious Caldwell-pope said he thought a second-team All-defense selection would be a good goal for Watson, who’s effectively a rookie.

“It’s been amazing. I’m always in his ear, talking about defense,” Caldwell-pope said. “If he continues to just focus on that end, not worry about everything else, I think he can do it.”