DNVR Player Grades: Nikola Jokić isn't back, "he never left"

Trust the proc—no, that one is taken. Trust in Nikola Jokić works just fine. After a slow start to the season, Jokić is on a roll and beginning to resemble the player that dominated in his 14-game playoff debut. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 23.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists on 57.8% from the field and 34.6% from three. Jokić was the best and at times, the fastest player on the court in the Denver Nuggets’ 110-102 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. And I’m only kind of kidding about the fast part. 

Is Nikola Jokić back? “He never left,” said Will Barton III after the game. That may be the case, but Jokić-ball itself had disappeared. A welcome sight then, as it returned through brief spurts throughout this game, most notably in the opening minutes as the Nuggets offense roared to life in their first four possessions.

The Starters opened on a 22-6 run, but a depleted bench floundered the lead as Jerami Grant stood in for an injured Paul Millsap (quad). Denver was in control for most of the near wire-to-wire win, but the lead felt admittedly precarious in the hands of the second unit. All five starters finished in double-digits while Jokić led the team in points, rebounds, and assists. The Nuggets recorded assists on 30 of their 43 field goals.

“The ball is popping more,” Gary Harris told the media after the game.

Hallelujah.

Let’s go to the grades.

Honor Roll

Nikola Jokić – A

Jokić moved into a tie (Rajon Rondo) for eleventh place on the All-Time triple-doubles list on Saturday night by notching 28 points on just 14 shots, grabbing 14 rebounds, and dishing 12 assists. He was the best player on the floor, but more importantly, he looked quick. Jokić was busting his tail up and down the court, cutting hard, and beating guys to the rim with a burst of speed—I’m not even being facetious.

Jokić has been lifting weights after games lately, games that have featured a much higher motor for a player that’s notorious for his spells of passivity across 82 games. He’s in noticeably better shape, and head coach Michael Malone went on record with his belief that he’s lost weight since the season began. He called Jokić “fast” after the game, which gave the center a chuckle when he was informed next to his locker.

“Finally, something athletic in the same sentence as me.”

December 15th may have come a day early this year. 

Will Barton III – A- 

Barton III has lived on our honor roll this season—DLine Co. is hard at work on commissioned bumper stickers. Denver’s starting small forward finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds—3 on the offensive end—and 2 steals in his 29 minutes on the court. There are few unused cliches or pithy descriptions of his approach this season that remains. He’s playing as hard as anyone in a Nuggets jersey, and on Saturday night, we saw him get Denver off to another good start offensively as he scored six points in less than two minutes to start the game. Barton’s areas of improvement are well documented, but perhaps the most impressive aspect of his season is his feel for the gas pedal. He’s turned it on when Denver needs a push, but taken a back seat and slid into myriad other roles when need be. He’s in control of his game right now.  

The Class

Jamal Murray – B

Murray found a groove as a playmaker with seven assists in his 32 minutes on the court, and he picked up some easy points around the rim as he set what must have been a season-high in dunks. Murray picked up 14 points as well, but he shot just 40 percent from the field while hitting one of his six attempts from three-point range. Murray played well on Saturday night, but we’re still waiting on significant improvement from him in the efficiency department.

Torrey Craig – B-

Crash Bandicoot was at it again Saturday night, playing 23 minutes in the win. Craig’s defense on Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was up the high-standard he’s set for himself in that department, but he also found a way to make himself a threat on the offensive end. He made a critical adjustment after Paul all but abandoned him beyond the perimeter early in the game. Craig began cutting hard to the basket when Paul fell asleep, creating passing lanes that were all too easy for Jokić given the height disadvantage. Craig’s instincts were sharp on both ends of the court, and he left his fingerprints all over the victory.

Jerami Grant – C+ 

Grant played 31 minutes in Paul Millsap’s stead as he picked up his most extended run with the starters of the season. He wasn’t spectacular, finishing with 13 points and just four rebounds, but he was a part of a unit that rolled for most of the night and got the line six times as he put his head down and willed points into existence on multiple occasions. Grant drives with conviction.

Gary Harris – C+

Harris scored just 11 points in his 36 minutes and was 5-for-14 from the floor. He hit one of his four three-point attempts and didn’t shoot a single free-throw, but it might be time to move past Harris’ impact—or rather lack thereof—offensively. His real work has been done on the defensive end this season, and it was his defensive play that warranted the heavy minutes in the win.

Principal’s Office

Monte Morris & Mason Plumlee – D+

Monte Morris hit all three of is field goals, but, uncharacteristically, he posted a negative assist to turnover ratio (1:2) and was a team-low -12 in the loss. Mason Plumlee played and scored just two points while grabbing four rebounds. He trailed only Morris by finishing the game as a -7.

Game Ball