Christian Braun Delivers Without Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray

Michael Porter Jr. – C-

Porter doesn’t play at a high level without Jokić and Murray. Since the All-Star break, he has looked much better scaling up, so there was hope he was ready to carry the offense in Portland. But he barely touched the ball in the first quarter and forced low-percentage jumpers when he did. His lack of involvement spoiled the rest of his effort. His focus and defense fell off a cliff, and he started missing open looks, too.

Things turned around in the second half when Porter lifted his energy first. He turned up the defense, improved his rebounding effort, and eventually knocked down a critical three in the fourth. It was a tale of two halves, but the headline is Porter played underwhelming basketball in Portland.

Aaron Gordon – A

Aaron Gordon was relentless in the shorthanded win. He knew no one on a tattered Blazers roster could hang with his combination of size and speed, so he played downhill. Gordon shot poorly on the night but grabbed eight offensive rebounds, nearly all following his misses. He’s mastering a unique layup package. Gordon gets decent looks up while barreling toward the rim—throwing it up and following his shot in one motion. It’s not that he’s trying to miss; he wants to get a good bounce, but if he does, he’s the first to get there. It’s fascinating to watch him adapt specific parts of Jokić’s game, melding them with his style and gifts.

On the other end of the floor, AG earned the DPOG chain and sealed the win with a monster effort in the fourth. He blocked three shots in the quarter, the last of which was an exclamation point on his impressive night.

DeAndre Jordan – A-

Michael Malone started DeAndre Jordan in Jokić’s absence. Jordan stepped up with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 combined blocks and steals. He did it all in under 20 minutes. He’s a veteran who should be able to handle this caliber of opponent in short bursts.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – B+

Pope is an ultra-responsible veteran. He leads the young players vocally and by example, consistently putting in effort regardless of the circumstances. KCP played his tail off in Portland. He scored 13 points, shot 3/5 from deep, and recorded two steals and two blocks.

Reggie Jackson – A-

Jackson stepped up in Murray’s absence once again. He’s made a habit out of that across the season, arguably providing enough utility to offset his struggles. Denver can survive his poor performances at full strength. At this point, we expect a feast or famine performance in a spot start. Jackon’s process hardly resembles what we know to be Nuggets basketball, but there’s a bottom line to production. He got buckets in Portland. Jackson dropped 23 points on 7/12 shooting and added five assists as well.

Christian Braun – A+

Braun matched Gordon’s and Pope’s intensity, playing like a madman off the bench. He attacked the rim fearlessly, utilizing sheer force and athleticism more than skill. He posted 17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. He was everywhere at once. At his best, CB reminds me of Josh Hart: a high-level defender and a high-motor guy for a winning team. Hart has a knack for timely and unlikely rebounds. Braun does, too. He’s brought that back into his game down the stretch. Four of the eight rebounds were on offense. Increasingly, he looks playoff-ready.

Peyton Watson – D+

This is the kind of game in which Watson easily could have thrived. Instead, he earned some admonishment from his head coach after the game.

Michael Malone on Christian Braun: "Aside from him and Reggie off the bench, I don't know who's going to play in the playoffs. I really don't."

"But CB played in the playoffs last year. He has Finals experience under his belt."

— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) March 24, 2024

Michael Malone excels at identifying who responds to tough coaching and when to apply the pressure. This quote isn’t meant to demoralize Watson. It’s meant to motivate him, with the playoffs just around the corner.

Collin Gillespie – B

Gillespie looked exceptional in his first stint. It was a game featuring a lot of call-ups and fill-ins. Unsurprisingly, Gillespie shined in the first half. He is a G League killer, after all. Unfortunately, that production completely dried up in the second half.

Justin Holiday – D

Holiday played 14 minutes in the win. That’s all I’ve got on Justin Holiday.