Unrivaled in their chemistry, Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray are stealing the show Nikola Jokić – A+ Let’s start with the history books. Jokić became the first player to post at least 30-20-10 in the NBA Finals. It’s only the fifth time anyone’s achieved that stat line during the postseason. Three of those belong to Jokić. Two are from this…
The Denver Nuggets completed the sweep to eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers. They’re headed to their first-ever NBA Finals. As we have in each elimination game, we’ll dedicate this report card to the entire series. Nikola Jokić – A+ Jokić was the best player on the floor for four games. He was a monster in transition, inhaling defensive rebounds and…
“It takes 16 wins to win a championship, and we’ve got five more to go, and the Lakers are in our way.” – Jamal Murray Jamal Murray – A+ Jamal Murray is a generational competitor. He’s a talented basketball player, always has been, but he turns into something else entirely with his back against the wall. The exact circumstances that…
Ball Arena is an Unassailable Fortress Jamal Murray – A Even Jamal Murray knew the Denver Nuggets took the longer route to victory. By his admission, things might have been easier if he had hit his shots in the second and third quarters. But as winning time approached, Murray felt his back scrape against a wall. There was nowhere to…
Nikola Jokić – A+ The 2023 Denver Nuggets are made of something different than previous iterations. They’ve taken hits, weathered storms together, and refitted many times. The ship that left the harbor long ago is still recognizable. Same captain. Same name. But she’s made of new wood now, with a primarily new and wiser crew on board to help her…
Can they build momentum off the much-needed win? Jamal Murray – A- Jamal Murray started the game with a bang. He shot out of the gate with 20-quick points, shaking Mikal Bridges and an army of approximates to bury jumper after jumper. He shot 4 of 4 from three-point range, picked up three assists, and did not turn the ball…
Studs Nathan MacKinnon MacKinnon is just on another level right now. He is taking over games at will and is racking up the points left and right. The other thing MacKinnon is doing lately is setting the tone and acting as the emotional heart beat of this Avalanche group. That’s normally a role we see filled by Captain Gabe Landeskog,…
Nikola Jokić – A It was a first quarter to forget for Jokić and the Nuggets in Charlotte. No one could hit a shot, and the defense was porous at best. Jokić was phoning it in on that end. But he turned the page on a slow start and, after checking back in with 7:43 remaining in the second quarter,…
DENVER, Colo. — The Broncos got back into the win column on Sunday, taking down the Cardinals 24-15. Both teams are now 4-10. Here’s how the Broncos graded out: Offense QB Brett Rypien – B- The Broncos’ backup quarterback did everything you could ask of him. He guided Denver’s offense admirably in the second half, and he scored 24 points,…...
Nikola Jokić – A- Jokić picked up his first triple-double of the new campaign Friday as the Nuggets grabbed a road win against the defending champs. He spent much of the first half in cruise control while Denver was rolling, but he re-committed himself to the glass after a failure in Utah. As the game grew closer and time wound…
Dryden Hunt – INC We’ve always said in this space that we aren’t grading guys when they play under five minutes. Hunt got to Denver about 3 AM and had a short video session and one morning skate to figure it all out. It’s no wonder he only played 4:27. Bowen Byram – A- Defensively, Byram was very good in…...
Nikola Jokić – A+ The threes are falling again for Jokić. That’s a critical development if the Nuggets are to make history. He’s shooting confidently and figuring Draymond Green out on the other end. Jokić looks like the best player in the series now, and he leads the playoffs in points per game after dropping 37 in game four. He…...
The Denver Nuggets finally played with pride, but they lacked composure in the clutch, and the rest of the series is but a formality now. Here’s the report card from Game 3 in Ball. Nikola Jokić – A+ Nikola Jokić played like an MVP in Game 3. He scored on Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, and anyone in his way. He…...
Nikola Jokić – B- The calls aren’t coming through two, and Jokić isn’t dominating Draymond Green the way Denver needs him to. There should be better options than one-on-one with one of the best defenders of all time, but it’s Denver’s best shot, and Jokić hasn’t figured it out yet. They might not win even if they do, and, of…...
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – B My problem with NAK has too often been his biggest contribution being in the first period and then he just does nothing. Not the case tonight. I really liked his game throughout and his physicality showed why he is a legitimate option for the lineup in the postseason. He can handle that kind of game. Andre…...
Nikola Jokić – B- The Golden State Warriors debuted their Death Lineup 3.0 against the Denver Nuggets, and the group excelled in a short stint. With the back-to-back MVP at center, Golden State should feel reluctant to go small against Denver, but they felt confident in Draymond Green’s ability to defend Nikola Jokić, and they were right to feel that…...
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – D I don’t really have much on NAK tonight. It was a quiet night but when you spend the entire game in your own zone defending, it’s tough to make too much of a mark, I suppose. Andre Burakovsky – C I really liked Burakovsky last night but tonight was really all the bad stuff in his…...
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – C- Giving him the slight bump for his goal despite it being as lucky as it was. He seems to do all of his damage early in games and then totally disappear. Some of that is usage, of course, but it’s interesting the way he fades during games. Andre Burakovsky – A A goal and an assist.…...
Headband Jokić – A+ As far as suboptimal starts to Nuggets games go, Jokić suffering a deep cut on his head and bleeding on the floor is up there. But that’s how the Nuggets began a night that ended gloriously. Jokić hit the sideline for treatment, briefly returned before opening up again, and ultimately settled on a headband to cover…...
Nikola Jokić – A Jokić went right at Jakob Poeltl, and though he missed some bunnies, he finished with 17 points in the first quarter and put the Spurs’ starting big man in foul trouble. Jokić stayed aggressive, finishing with a career-high 35 shot attempts. But between that workload, what he had to do defensively, and the lack of rest…...
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