Denver Nuggets Survive Against Shorthanded Utah Jazz

Nikola Jokić – A+

Jokić joined LeBron James as the only players in the history of the NBA to post at least 31 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists, and four blocks in a game. And it wasn’t a solo effort — his two-man partner, Jamal Murray, put on a two-man clinic. It’s confusing and admittedly concerning that a shorthanded Utah squad almost stole that game, but Jokić and Murray did what best players do.

Jokić spent much of the night guarding Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler. Two good players, but two players who don’t stretch Jokić out to the perimeter the way the worst matchups do. It allowed him to conserve energy, attempt to protect the rim, and unleash hell on the other end of the floor.

Jamal Murray – A+

Time slowed for Murray as he manipulated Jokić’s gravity and probed for weaknesses. As Murray navigated the pick-and-roll defense, he left the possibility of a late drop-off to Jokić dangling until the last the very last second. Only to shift his attention to the rim and utilize his crafty layup and floater packages. When he wasn’t dissecting the defense, he might as well have pointed to his preferred spots on the floor. Like the mid-range maestros of NBA lore, he shot from where he wanted, when he wanted. There was little Utah could do. It was the perfect follow-up to his late heroics in Portland.

Aaron Gordon – C

AG was involved in a handful of miscommunicated switches on the perimeter. His and Bruce Brown’s efforts to prevent Kelly Olynyk and Malik Beasley from wreaking havoc were disjointed but ultimately helpful as Jokić spent less time in open ground. On offense, Gordon took a slight step back. He scored efficiently, but the balance and decisiveness defining his recent success wouldn’t be apt descriptors of his approach against the Jazz.

Bruce Brown – C–

Brown’s stonks are trending in the wrong direction. He, too, was involved in some miscommunication on the perimeter. He was also guilty of overzealous closeouts and a few blow-bys. His lack of size popped as well. I still love the signing and expect his impact to swing back in the positive direction. But it’s been a tough couple of weeks for him.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – B

KCP is feeling it again from deep. He shot 3 of 6 from beyond the arc Saturday night and returned to contributing on the glass. His 15-6-3 with no turnovers was a welcome supplement to what Jokić and Murray provided.

Christian Braun – C+

Braun was the first Nugget off the bench, although he staggered with the other Brown and not Jamal Murray. The Braun minutes didn’t go Denver’s way, which had more to do with a choppy rotation and some funky lineups than the rookie’s play itself. He spent a few minutes with only Brown on the floor to fill the point guard role, which is suboptimal. The Brown stagger also meant the return of what was once a five-man bench lineup. Suboptimal again. This also brings us to a larger point about the defense — communication.

When I asked NBA champion KCP if he’d observed championship habits from this squad back during the preseason, he went right to communication as an area of improvement. Since then, Malone has tinkered and toyed with a frustrating bench unit. Denver doesn’t have a good enough bench lineup to demand consistency, but a potential symptom of the fluidity is suffering chemistry on defense. Lest that sound like an excuse, the bottom line is it’s on the staff to shore this up.

Bones Hyland – C–

Bones couldn’t conjure any magic in front of the home crowd this time, but he gutted through a disappointing start to the game. In the past, a stint like his initial minutes Saturday night might’ve taken him out of the game entirely. This time, Bones stuck with hit and hit some big shots. The grade is poor, but the performance was ultimately encouraging.

Jeff Green & DeAndre Jordan – D

This duo’s worst performances are defined by palpable lethargy. Vets, long season, etc. — there exist many reasons their energy might wane, but the lack of defense and rebounding from this frontcourt pairing can be tough to watch.

Davon Reed & The Takeover Squad – A+

Reed didn’t play against the Jazz, yet he still made time to come through The DNVR Bar and hop on the show. He also stuck around to greet the fans and sign some autographs. A classy crowd showed him love, and he responded with class in turn. Thanks to Mr. Dependable for stopping by and sharing his perspective.

Sports can be so good. And good they were Saturday night.