Denver Nuggets Cruise Past First Place Grizzlies

Nikola Jokić – A

In some cultures, 13 is considered a lucky number. In others, quite the opposite. For Nikola Jokić, 13 is simply what it took to cruise past the Grizzlies and take the one seed out West. He dropped 13 points to go with 13 rebounds and 13 assists. He even finished the night +13 in the +/- column. Memphis deployed an aggressively anti-Jokić defense, which included relentless help. There wasn’t much room to score, so Jokić set the table for others with his playmaking genius. He didn’t just record 13 assists. He turned a blank canvas into a piece of art.

After his ridiculous assists tonight, check out some of the most creative passes from Nikola Jokic's career so far 🃏 pic.twitter.com/Hk1mTWrUOJ

— NBA (@NBA) December 21, 2022

No Jamal, no Porter, no problem for the big fellow. It was all about 15 — and 13 — in Ball Arena.

Aaron Gordon – A

The Nuggets needed a big game from AG, and he played precisely how Denver hoped he would. Curiously, he only logged 27:30, but that’s all he needed to record an efficient 24 points, grab 7 rebounds (4 OREB), and dish out 4 assists. He only turned the ball over once. Gordon feasted at the rim, where he’s become a bonafide predator. Once caught between size and skill, Gordon’s since earned the positive connotation we sometimes assign to the term tweener. He’s so hard to match up with right now. He can’t be stopped in the paint. He knows it, too.

I keep returning to that Golden State series. Draymond Green punked him for two games, while meanwhile, across the aisle, Andrew Wiggins had turned into the perfect high-end role player. Something clicked for AG, who took a similar approach as Wiggins to the rest of the series. He’s been playing that way ever since.

Christian Braun – A-

With no Murray or Porter on the floor, Bruce Brown moved to point guard, which opened up a forward position. Right when you think you have Michael Malone figured out, he starts Christian Braun in the season’s most important game. And it worked. Braun played stellar defense on Ja Morant — the whole team did, truthfully — helping set the tone for a glorious first quarter. Denver defended at a level we hadn’t seen this season, holding the potent Grizz to 16 first-quarter points. That was the foundation for a munder at home. Braun deserves a lot of the credit.

Bruce Brown – B

Brown thrived back in his natural position and played his preferred role of the most disruptive player imaginable. He stayed active on both ends and finished some big-time Jokić highlights (you’re cut if you blow a between-the-legs no-look pass mid-game). It wasn’t his most efficient night as a scorer, but his relentlessness made a positive impact. It was a good night for Calvin Booth, as all 3 of his lauded acquisitions started next to each other. Wouldn’t you know it? Denver turned in their best performance of the year.

KCP – B

The Booth Bois thrived as Denver impersonated the 2011 Dirk squad — tenacious defense and active cutting alongside an all-time great offensive player. KCP fits exquisitely into such a lineup, and he played well against Memphis. We can get carried away when going down this path. We’ve seen the Nuggets play an appealing brand of basketball without Jokić’s co-stars. But we’ve also seen such lineups drown without their dynamic talents. It worked this time, not just because of how they matched up but because the others stepped up. KCP included.

Vlatko Čančar – C+

We knew Malone was on one when he started the rookie. He got really weird with bringing Vlatko first off the bench again. And Malone was pressing all the right buttons against Memphis. Vlatko grabbed seven boards and kept the ball moving as the bench kept their heads above water against a deep team. It wasn’t so much that one player stepped up as it was the unit played well. They defended well, got out and ran, and moved the ball better than we’re used to seeing. Vlatko played a role in that.

Bones Hyland – D+

Bones might’ve been the worst Nugget on the floor Tuesday night. Still, in typical Bones fashion, he had a moment in front of the home crowd. His second 3 of the night, a wonderfully timed bucket setting up the 2 for 1 at the end of the third quarter, was a big shot. Momentum was creeping in the wrong direction, and Bones stopped it dead in its tracks.

We can’t ignore the poor play, though. He didn’t shoot or defend at a satisfactory level again. He’s a point guard stuck in score-first mode and struggling to do it. Remarkably, the bench survived.

Jeff Green – B

Green played a sneaky good game Tuesday night. The box score does him dirty, as someone who missed the game might notice his missed 3s and free throws. But Green was involved in all the right ways at all the right times off the bench. He closed in place of Braun and earned it.

He also added a youngster to the family tree in dramatic fashion.

JEFF GREEN POSTER ON TNT 😱 pic.twitter.com/STp1UoySoM

— NBA (@NBA) December 21, 2022

Ziaire Williams, you have been nephewed.

Zeke Nnaji – C

Braun started. Vlatko first off the bench. What’s next — Zeke minutes? Yes, actually.

Zeke logged about ten minutes, and they went well for Denver. It was a tale of two halves for Zeke, who impressed in his first stint but struggled his next time out. But more importantly, it gave Denver’s second unit a different look on each end of the floor. Different spacing in the half-court offense. More switchable on the other end, especially with KCP staggering. Zeke didn’t play his best game, but Denver did, and his minutes are noteworthy.