Grades: Nuggets squander chance to move above .500

When it seemed the train was back on the tracks, the Denver Nuggets clipped a broken rail with the Utah Jazz in town. Jamal Murray dropped 30, and Nikola Jokić painted a masterpiece, but the reinforcements never arrived. Patience is tested now in Denver, Serbia, Australia, and anywhere else a diehard calls home. The Nuggets missed another chance to move above .500.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A+

I’m inclined to push back on this notion the Nuggets are “wasting” Jokić’s MVP-caliber start to the season. Only because I don’t think this level of play is going anywhere. Whatever Jokić’s special stuff is, it is infinite. They still have plenty of runway to get healthy and get right around him, even if that’s an increasingly elusive hope.

Jokić finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds (8 OREB), 9 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block on 14/23 from the field. If there is a list of guys playing at a higher level right now, it’s a very short list.

Jamal Murray – A+ / D+

That’s not a range. It’s another tale of two-halves for Murray, who is gutting it out through pain in his shooting elbow. In the first half, he was the player you might have expected to show up for the rematch with last season’s first-round opponent — his breakout party. Murray entered the locker room at halftime with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and a team-high +13.

He was scoreless in the third quarter.

Does this loss fall on Murray? No. But he can’t string together complete performances at the moment, regardless of whether it’s fair to expect that of him given the pain he’s enduring. He hit a wall Sunday night, and that didn’t stop Malone from playing him 42:09 either. In his defense, he doesn’t have much choice right now.

Crazy stat from the Nuggets' stats team tonight:

Murray and Jokic both scored 30+ in tonight's loss. Denver had won its last 12 games when having two players score 30+.

Last loss was at Portland on 12/21/2007. Melo and Iverson both had 34 points on 26 shots.

— Adam Mares (@Adam_Mares) January 18, 2021

Gary Harris – C-

In his return from a brief absence due to personal reasons, Harris (with the help of PJ Dozier) did a great job limiting Donovan Mitchell to just 2 points on 1/10 shooting in the first half. However, whether due to foul trouble (4 PF) or improved play from Mitchell, that containment ultimately failed, and he finished as Utah’s high-scorer (8) in the fourth quarter.

On the other end, Harris lost whatever rhythm he was in prior to the absence. He shot 2/11 from the floor. It wasn’t pretty.

Paul Millsap – D-

Millsap was practically invisible. Utah proved a brutal matchup for him in the playoffs, and it didn’t look any easier for him this time around. If he’s not hitting threes he’s not offering much at the moment. He was 0/1 from deep.

Will Barton – D-

Barton managed to be the only starter with a negative mark in the +/- column. He shot 1/6 from the floor on his way to 2 — count ’em — 2 points. If you’re looking for some positives, well, at least he only shot six times. It looked, briefly, as if Barton might be finding his way around the rim again. I thought as much a few games ago anyway, but that’s not the case. He still can’t get anything to fall.

The starting lineup is flourishing offensively, but this game properly reflects their season so far: they’d be nowhere without Jokić. Barton’s giving them very little right now.

PJ Dozier – C+

This performance was so close to a great one from Dozier, and this grade feels a little harsh even as I recount my rationale. Dozier defended at a high level, shot the ball well, and for the most part, contained himself to a minimal role on offense. Unfortunately, the emphasis here lies on “for the most part.” Dozier chucked up an ill-advised early shot clock three late in the game with no one in rebounding position. It’s hard not to focus on those moments when they’re precisely what he needs to cut back on. Perhaps I’m too hard on PJ. Alas.

Monte Morris – C

Morris had some spectacular moments Sunday night, but his total performance falls short of the bar he set for himself. These Morris grades are now curved to reflect what is reasonably expected of him, and that’s a very high level of play. He wasn’t great in the loss, and perhaps it’s not so surprising the rest of the bench struggled too.

JaMychal Green – C-

Green shot 2/8 from the floor in his worst performance to date as a member of the Nuggets. It’s not great for the vibes when Green struggles. Let’s just keep it moving.

Facundo Campazzo – D+

Campazzo was targeted and punished on the defensive end more than once in his 11:14 of playing time. He was 2/4 from the floor but also a team-worst -12. Plus/Minus is so noisy. Still, things did not go well during the stretches he ran the show.

Isaiah Hartenstein – F

As media, we saw, heard, and relayed some promising things about Hartenstein. To this point, any attempt to hype up that signing looks a bit silly in hindsight. He hasn’t entered Malone’s circle of trust, and he’s not taking full advantage of the admittedly small chunks of opportunity handed to him. He played fewer than 3 minutes Sunday night. If you’re wondering why Malone continues to turn to that four-guard lineup, this is where to start. Hartenstein is essentially out of the rotation at the moment.