Grades: Denver Nuggets Lay Egg With Cleveland Cavaliers in Town

The Denver Nuggets hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers at home Monday night with two days rest after a 2-0 start. Naturally, they laid an egg. The night began with Lauri Markannen sending Nikola Jokić tumbling into the shadow realm via a thunderous fastbreak dunk. It was a harbinger of the vibes to come. The Nuggets have their first loss of the season, and it’s a stinker.

To the grades:

Nikola Jokić – B

This grade will likely draw some ire after Jokić filled up the stat sheet against Cleveland. He scored an efficient 24 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and stole the ball 3 times. He did record 6 turnovers, though, a symptom of a disjointed offense, and it had a compounding effect. Denver looked sloppy from start to finish, and Jokić could barely hide his contempt.

It’s no secret that Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokić operate on different frequencies. We’re all witness to Jokić’s blatant displeasure and condescending body language when things are less than ideal. Porter is, of course, well behind the learning curve of most players his age. But Jokić rarely, if ever, attempts to pick him up. It’s a tough-love approach that sometimes devolves into something detrimental.

Jokić has no trouble emoting or communicating when Porter plays the wrong way. So, where is the encouragement when he makes an effort to play smarter? Porter’s found Jokić under the rim with some improved vision and timing as a passer this season. Jokić has yet to point at his teammate as he jogs back on defense — heaven forbid he smiles or claps.

Fair or not, frustrating though it may be, he displayed poor leadership Monday night. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Michael Porter Jr. – D+

Now, in defense of Jokić, Porter played a poor game. He shot 4 of 14 from the floor, and after recording 2 fouls, lost his way entirely on defense. MPJ finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Denver needs more scoring from Porter, and so far, he’s way off the mark. Jokić is unhappy with Porter, Malone is unhappy with Porter, and Porter looks unhappy on the court. Alas, before I hit any panic buttons, we’re three games in, and the Nuggets have won twice. Plenty of time to correct the course.

Aaron Gordon – C

Gordon played with good energy and would have finished with a good grade had he not shot himself out of it. He contributed on the glass and threw down a couple of backboard-shaking dunks. Unfortunately, AG shot just 5 of 14 from the floor and turned it over 3 times. Despite playing with urgency, he didn’t play that well thanks to an inefficient night.

Will Barton – C+

Will Barton scored 12 points on 50% from the field and played great defense Monday night. His effort level was high, but he didn’t get involved as a rebounder or playmaker as he did in Denver’s two victories. The defense was almost enough to vault him to a B-, but Thrill was something less than what Denver needed outside of that. He should be more involved.

Monte Morris – D+

Morris recorded 6 assists and only 2 turnovers, surprising given how he failed the eye test. Morris looked disjointed as a lead guard and far too limited as a scoring threat. I expected a rusty start from him, and that’s what we’re getting so far. The offense should look better as he finds his footing, although his relative struggles are, of course, not the only factor.

Bones Hyland – Debuted (B+)

Bones Hyland logged the first 10:25 seconds of his NBA career Monday night and played well. He scored 7 points on 3 of 5 from the field and added 2 rebounds with 2 assists. The bench looked better with him on the floor if you’re looking for takeaways after such a small sample. Bones has a case to replace Austin Rivers in that second unit right now. Time will tell if Michael Malone sees it the same way.

The Bench – D+

The rest of the bench played poorly, and if they avoid much criticism, it’s because the starters played poorly too. Once again, Malone opted for a complete second unit, choosing not to stagger his best players with the bench. Malone wants that group to work together, but they’re unlikely to. It feels as though we’re biding time until either Porter or Barton are called upon to carry them.