Grades: Michael Porter Jr. puts his stamp on the 2020-21 season

The Denver Nuggets are going streaking after their fourth win in a row and third straight win on the road to open up this five-game trip. Nikola Jokić was something less than transcendent, but his teammates had his back. Jamal Murray dug deep and placed himself back in the bubble, so to speak, but ultimately earned an ejection from the game in the third quarter. It was up to young Michael Porter Jr. to save the day in Dallas. Oh, baby, did he ever.

Let’s go to the grades:

Michael Porter Jr. – A+

That is arguably the best performance we’ve seen to date from the Nuggets’ bluechip wing. Porter filled it up in the first half as he’s wont to do, and this time, neither his minutes nor his production dropped off in the second half. He finished with 30 points and 8 rebounds (3 OREB) on 10/18 from the floor and 6/10 from deep. There wasn’t a ton of dribbling, yet there was a ton of scoring. He got it going with the bench unit, he got it going alongside Jokic, and he closed the game with some of the best minutes of his career. Porter drilled the game-sealing three from the left corner with roughly 40 seconds to go and couldn’t contain a smile as he walked to the bench. At that moment, he buried Dallas, but he spent the moments leading up to it making impact plays on defense and sticking his nose into the rebounding battle. It’s hard to believe how good he looks already, given the time he missed. It’s time to move him into the starting lineup.

Nikola Jokić – A-

Jokić was very good, and not great Monday night. He finished with 20, 10, and 4 on 8/13 shooting — which is, of course, a fantastic night by most standards. Jokić looks a little tired, physically and mentally. That’s perhaps best evidenced by his six turnovers, several of which seemed entirely preventable. He’s earned a grace period, to be clear, and I only highlight his relative dropoff to point out it was his teammates who had his back this time around. Jokić didn’t have his special stuff, Murray got ejected, and Luka Doncic was unstoppable. That sounds like the formula for a Nuggets loss to me. Yet here we are. Things are trending up in Denver.

Jamal Murray – C+

Murray was well on his way to an A, and possibly an A+ in that first half. As Superstar Dev pointed out in our pregame show, he was always going to bring it given the circumstances — just one day before the anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s shocking death. That was a Murray Mentality game, and he looked nothing short of Bubble Murray in the first half — explosive, strong, and locked in. Unfortunately, Murray was the recipient of some physical defense all night long. The bangs, bruises, and no calls added up to frustration, and he appeared to take that out on Tim Hardaway Jr. in the third quarter. There’s some debate as to whether Murray wound up and struck THJ’s groin area with intention, but the referees made a decision. Murray’s ejection nearly derailed the game and win streak for Denver. I think it was intentional, and he can’t succumb to that behavior. The Nuggets needed him out there.

Gary Harris – B-

Harris couldn’t contain Doncic like he’s done in the past, in large part due to two ill-advised fouls in the opening minutes. Doncic went off, but Harris made a defensive impact nonetheless. He’s elite at the stunt, swipe, and recovery. He somehow manages to clog lanes, throwing driving players out of rhythm while rarely sacrificing position on his assignment. On the offensive end, he finished 3/6 from the field and 2/2 from deep. That’s just what the doctor ordered.

Here’s a couple of fun facts: Harris has now hit a three in 8 consecutive games. He’s shooting 47% on 5.0 attempts per game over that span.

Will Barton – D

Barton saved himself from consecutive F’s with 7 rebounds and 5 assists in Dallas, but he still earns a D with some painful offensive struggles. There’s a darn-near visible lid on the rim when Barton drives right now. Of course, we can trace this back to the knee pain and subsequent rehabilitation last year. Still, Denver didn’t need him to push through the slump in a close winnable game. Barton finished 2/9 from the floor, which is at least three too many shots considering how far off the mark he was. He’s forcing the issue right now, and while the team is winning games, this seems like an easy opportunity to slide Porter back into the starting lineup. If Barton rediscovers his form, then there’s perhaps a conversation to be had about starting shooting guards. But I wouldn’t hold my breath for that day, and the Nuggets have bigger fish to fry in the meantime.

Paul Millsap – D

Millsap is practically invisible out there, and that’s if we’re willing to overlook some of the apparent deficiencies. He desperately needs a better matchup and strong performance from deep. Otherwise, it might be time to hand even more minutes over to JaMychal Green.

JaMychal Green – A-

Speaking of JaMychal Green, it’s time to award the front office some credit for their measured response to the offseason’s disaster. They expected Grant to return, and pivoting towards Green on the deal they signed him to is a healthy recovery. Green finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds on 5/9 shooting and 3/7 from deep. He also converted a late and-one opportunity that proved to be vital.

Mone Morris – C+

Morris turned it over twice. Twice! Someone check on Hell. I expect they’ll find a thick layer of ice.

Facundo Campazzo – C+

Campazzo is never going to fill up the box score, but he played fine in Dallas. With a couple of notable exceptions, he strung together some strong defensive possessions. There’s also something calming about him back it out and calling for a screen with the second unit. He may not be racking up assists, but he knows how to generate a quality possession.

PJ Dozier – B+

Dozier looked great in his opening stint. He put forth some of his best minutes of the season before pulling up lame and grabbing his hamstring in the first half. He limped off the floor and did not return. We’re still awaiting additional details.

RJ Hampton – C+

We saw some surprise Hampton minutes late in this game. He logged 5:45 and played how you’d expect a player in his shoes might. It was all effort, something resembling my pickup game, as he jumped around and ran into as many folks as he could in hoops of disrupting something — anything. Monday night isn’t the first time Malone threw Hampton a bone like this. He clearly appreciates what he’s seeing from the rookie.