DNVR Player Grades: bah humbug

The Denver Nuggets entered their Christmas game with the New Orleans Pelicans riding a seven-game winning streak while boasting the best offensive efficiency in the NBA during that span. Denver was hosting the first-ever Christmas game in Pepsi Center history, and the holiday spirit permeated the arena as a buzzing crowd filed in and found their seats. The Nuggets had his one gift-wrapped for them.
They got smoked, falling by a final score of 112-100.

It’s the second loss in as many games—the last coming on Halloween—against a Pelicans team that’s navigating a disastrous season to date.
“We don’t have a matchup for Brandon Ingram,” head coach Michael Malone said after the game. “I’ve got to do a better job of helping our guys out.”

In an unwelcome flash of deja vu, Ingram went off, finishing with 31 points on 61% from the floor, including 7-9 from deep. Meanwhile, Derrick Favors, who has proven a tough matchup for Denver’s star center Nikola Jokić in the past, finished with 13 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 blocks. He frustrated an aggressive Jokić all night, who missed some looks inside where he typically butters his bread.

Is this a bad matchup for the Denver Nuggets? It shouldn’t matter, the talent-gap should prevail. Good teams lose games they shouldn’t, even to the Pelicans, but when removed from a vacuum and placed in its proper context, it’s a gut punch to a team and a fanbase that was riding high.

They derailed the hype train, and the accident unfurled on national television—not a first this season for the Nuggets. It’s hard to imagine Denver earned another Christmas day slot next season, but that might be a good thing when considering their propensity to lay an egg when the national circus comes around.

Let’s go to the grades.

Honor Roll*

Jerami Grant and Nikola Jokić – B+

Woof. I suppose if I grade on a curve*, then Jokić and Grant sneak in here, but the truth is neither did enough for comfortable placement in the top tier. Jokić had the right approach, calling his number down low time and time again when the offense sputtered out, but he couldn’t find his touch, and also turned it over five times.

Grant finished with 17 points on 6-0f-10 from the floor in 29 minutes, but he recorded just two rebounds and one assist without steal or a block. He closed in place of Paul Millsap and played well offensively, but the starters played like a shell of the unit that’s been on a tear.

The Class

Gary Harris – B-

Harris finished with four steals and served as a useful thorn in the side of Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick. He also finished with 15 points, but wasn’t particularly efficient, and didn’t attempt a single free throw. He only recorded one assist as well. It was a fairly underwhelming night from a player who’s been flirting with finding his rhythm.

Will Barton III – C+

Barton III didn’t have the juice tonight. In his 32 minutes on the floor, he scored just 10 points and recorded only two assists while turning it over twice. He wasn’t up to his new standard on the defensive end, either. He played hard, he always does, but he couldn’t muster enough to make a winning impact Wednesday night.

Mason Plumlee – C+

Plumlee played just 16 minutes while recording four points and five rebounds. He was decidedly average.

Malik Beasley – C

Beasley started the game hot, knocking down three of his first four three-point attempts. But the spark quickly dried up, and that didn’t deter from getting his shots up either. In 21 minutes, Beasley took 14 shots, the second-most on the team, and only hit five of them. He finished 3-of-10 from deep.

Monte Morris – C

Morris wasn’t the problem on Wednesday night, but he wasn’t the solution either, scoring just five points on seven shots in 22 minutes. At least he bolstered his assist-to-turnover ratio by posting six of the former without turning it over.

Principal’s Office

Paul Millsap – D+

Millsap struggles with the Brandon Ingram matchup, and he came into this game a little banged up. He played just 16 minutes and failed to score while only grabbing two rebounds. Malone didn’t say why Millsap played so little but injured or not—he didn’t look like the best option in his limited time on the court.

Jamal Murray – D+

Holiday bullied Murray all night long. Murray hit just two of his ten shot attempts in 27 minutes and finished with only eight points. He didn’t hit a three and couldn’t turn the corner on the premier on-ball defender. His nadir came in the second half when Jokić established position on a smaller defender. Murray didn’t appear comfortable attempting the entry pass, and instead, took on Holiday one-on-one. Holiday stripped him and led the fast break.