Denver Nuggets Give Weak Effort In Los Angeles

Nikola Jokić – C+

Nikola Jokić looked up for the Anthony Davis challenge in the first half. The two big men have been rampaging through the league and clashed on a Friday night in Los Angeles. Jokić looked like he had another special game brewing as the two teams headed into their respective locker rooms at the half, and then, only one re-emerged.

Anthony Davis did not return to the game with an issue in his right foot, and Jokić, with a golden opportunity in reach, took his foot off the gas. He genuinely struggled in his new matchup with Thomas Bryant. Credit is due to the opponent, but who are we kidding? The two-time MVP has to close that door.

Jokić is among the best floor raisers I’ve seen: Giannis, LeBron — add these guys and some water, and you’ve got yourself a playoff berth. But he’s yet to earn a spot amongst the best leaders in the sport. If teams do take on the personality of their best player, this squad’s bizarre energy is partially his mess to clean up. Where is the urgency? Where are the predatory instincts?

This team can, and likely will coast to a top-seed out West. But they haven’t earned that right. If we criticize the Clippers and Nets for punting on regular seasons to their own detriment, the Nuggets can’t squirm away from that discussion. Do they, and their best player, want to sleep-walk to the tournament, or are they willing to spend a campaign doing the dirty work? They have winning habits to foster and sharpen.

Jamal Murray – C+

Whatever fire Jokić lacks or doesn’t care to project, we’ve come to expect from Murray. He’s the emotional leader of this team and he was strangely MIA again in the first half Friday night. His success at the free throw line shouldn’t be ignored and reflects some aggressiveness, but the game looked joyless for him. It’s not my bag or my right to speculate what, if anything, he’s going through. It just hasn’t looked fun. To his credit, he seemed to rediscover his spark in the second half. It was too little to late, but a good sign all the same. They need him in the ring.

Aaron Gordon – C+

AG has talked a lot about “pace” with the media this season. It’s a go-to word whenever describing his shot profile or general approach to a game. He’s been playing in rhythm for most of the season, but he lost the beat in Los Angeles. Everything was a touch too quick or a touch too slow. He dribbled one too many times.

KCP – C

The KCP minutes were far from a disaster for Denver, but it was far from an impressive performance against his old team. He just didn’t get involved outside of his nine points. He’s capable of engaged and disruptive basketball. Instead, he played a dazed and passive game in LA.

Bruce Brown – B-

The same criticisms can’t be directed at Brown, who played another game of basketball with the near-exhausting enthusiasm of a cartoon protagonist. He was everywhere, but he was also only so big. The starting lineup needs more length at forward without Michael Porter Jr.

Denver isn’t extracting quite as much value from Brown’s minutes as we hoped.

Christian Braun – C+

More length you say? Could young Braun be the answer?

Not for Michael Malone, who benched him after roughly nine minutes of play. And you already know who played instead.

Davon Reed – D+

Reed’s presence had the desired effect in the first half. He does provide a little more size, and his minutes went well, even if he posted a barren box score. But his minutes went equally as poorly in the second half.

I appreciate Reed’s short tenure as a Nugget, though I wonder why his runway is longer than Braun’s. Malone has admitted his trust lies with more veteran players, but that admission itself is not grounds for exoneration. The Braun minutes have gone too well to be stuffed on a shelf.

Bones Hyland – F

Bones played a horrendous game in Los Angeles. His defense was abhorrent, and he left his offense in Denver. His 14:42 on the floor was catastrophic for Denver—damage at the water line. Not a dinghy in sight.

Jeff Green – C

Green grabbed four rebounds in an impressive first half. He was active and impactful before heading into the locker room. While he, unlike Anthony Davis, did technically return to the court, the two posted nearly identical numbers from there on out.

DeAndre Jordan – C

Malone went to Jordan again and then abandoned the backup big idea altogether in the second half.