Grades: Denver Nuggets Get it Right With Down Bad Blazers

Nikola Jokić – A-

Jokić appeared content with only 28:27 of playing time against the Blazers. He seemed unbothered by the wide-open threes from Jusuf Nurkić and the possibility of another meltdown at the half. Denver played healthy and happy basketball against Portland, and their best player didn’t need to dig deep for an MVP-worthy performance. He finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, in one of the rare Nuggets games that weren’t all about him. We can’t get through a Nuggets game without gushing over the MVP, however, and he gave us plenty of ammunition with an extremely rare tiger poster.

art. pic.twitter.com/quXxCUOF9f

— Jordan🦋 (@jordanandersm) January 14, 2022

We’re counting that.

Aaron Gordon – D+

If this game required little from Jokić, it required even less from Aaron Gordon, who just floated through the motions while the rest of his teammates got in on the party. Gordon’s earned some rest on the court, though, especially after his valiant effort against LAC.

Jeff Green – Dunk

Jeff Green will not stop dunking. He recorded five against the Fake-Blazers, tying his career-high — at least according to this Twitter user:

Jeff Green @unclejeffgreen already has 5 dunks unofficially, tying for the most by any Nuggets player in a game this season (Aaron Gordon 5 at the Clippers on Tuesday).

His career most dunks is 5 on 3/27/16 (playing for the Clippers against the Nuggets).

— Statzman (@RealStatzman) January 14, 2022

I did not fact-check this. That’s a lot of parenthesis for someone who didn’t do the work.

That wasn’t the only full circle on the night, either. Green’s 19 points made him one of six Nuggets to record 16 points or more. The last time Denver accomplished that feat was in 2008, against Jeff Green’s Sonics. Is all this poetic? Or is Jeff Green just old? Probably a bit of both.

Will Barton – A-

Barton returned from a brief stint in Health and Safety Protocols to lead all Nuggets in scoring against Portland. He finished with an efficient 21 points, and while he only recorded two assists, he did an excellent job of finding Jokić in advantageous positions. Denver missed Thrill in that LAC loss.

Monte Morris – C

Morris wasn’t at his best against Portland, but he avoided any turnovers as the starting point guard. That was good enough as his teammates thrived around him.

Facundo Campazzo – A

After earning an F against the Clippers, Facu responded with a masterclass against the Fake-Blazers off the bench. Facu eats bad teams for lunch, and that squad certainly qualifies. However, he’s found success against Portland regardless of who takes the court — one of the few teams he’s able to attack as a scorer.

Facu finished with 18 points, 12 assists, and 4 steals while shooting 7 of 10 from the floor. I’m sorry about the lack of rebounds. That hurt my wallet, too.

Bones Hyland – A

Hyland fouled out, but not before doing his damage. The rook bounced back with five threes off the bench and dropped 17 points on Portland. Nuggets are now 8-0 this season when Bones Hyland scores 10+ points, per Mr. Wind.

Zeke Nnaji – A

Nnaji was a good rebounder in college who looks timid around the rim at the NBA level. His tenacity and activity on the boards earned him an A against Portland.

Nnaji finished with nine rebounds, including four on offense, and scored 16 points. His approach provided a different dynamic for a desperate bench unit and led to one of his most encouraging performances. He also earned the coveted DPOG chain award thing after the game.

Markus Howard – Vibes

From the department of vibes –> Denver Nuggets –> 1/13/22:

Mahkus J.* Howard returned to action against the Blazers after a lengthy break due to a gnarly knee sprain. Howard knocked down a 3 in his 2:46 on the court.

*I do not know his middle name.