DNVR Player Grades: the bench erupts

Members of the media and fans of the Nuggets expected the bench to be among their most significant advantages in this regular season. With the exception of Jerami Grant, a highly regarded role-player, the Nuggets are running things back with the second-unit. But the early results haven’t been quite what Nuggets fans had hoped to see. The bench has struggled this season, and multiple leads have dissolved in their hands.

The bench did not struggle in the 129-92 shellacking of the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.

Denver recorded an outrageous 74 bench points as the second-unit played most of the second half in the blowout. The bench was active—running after stops, moving the ball quickly and with purpose, and cutting hard without the ball in their hands; the blueprint for unlocking their A-game.

Malik Beasley scored 11 points in the first half and finished the game as a ludicrous +33—no bench player who played at least 20 minutes ended the game below a +26. As a team, the Nuggets hit 21 of their 33 attempts from deep as nine different players knocked down a three.

If the Nuggets were indeed in need of a big win—a game in which they fired on all cylinders—then consider that mission accomplished.

Let’s go to the grades:

Honor Roll

The Bench – A+

The Nuggets played an all-bench lineup of Monte Morris-Malik Beasley-Juancho Hernangomez-Mason Plumlee for nearly 17:30 in the win. They shot 65 percent from the field, 60 percent from deep, recorded 16 assists, and finished the game as a +27. All told, the Nuggets second-unit scored 74 points in what was categorically their best game of the season. It is, in fact, more manageable for me to simply post a screenshot rather than type each impressive stat. The bench whipped.

That was the game we’ve been waiting to see from this lineup—now they must do it against a team that isn’t Knicks.

Nikola Jokić – A-

Tonight’s game is one for which there’s no need to lambast Denver’s best player for only taking seven shots and scoring six points. In 24 minutes, he recorded ten rebounds, eight assists, and did not turn the ball over. The Nuggets were able to enter the ball into the post when Jokić had position on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter, and they resulted in three assists—two of them on three-pointers.

Shocking, I know.

The Class

Will Barton III – B+

In a game that was dominated by the bench, Barton III might not have stood out to those who watched, but he played another great game. He finished with 17 points on 6-of-9 from the floor and 4-for-4 from III.

Jamal Murray – B

Not much was required of Murray in this one, who scored 14 points and recorded four assists in just 22 minutes. There was one small stain on his performance—a first quarter possession in which Jokić had post position on the Knick’s point guard, Frank Ntilikina, and Murray never attempted an entry pass. But Murray redeemed himself in the second quarter, as it was he and Barton III who was determined to get the ball to their best player’s hands-on those three possessions mentioned above.

Paul Millsap – B-

Millsap finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 21 minutes. To be blunt, this was far from Millsap’s best game this season. But to be fair, that has more to do with the high bar he’s set for himself in a fantastic start to the 2019-20 campaign.

Principal’s office

Michael Malone 

Malone has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to what’s best long-term for the Denver Nuggets. His players bought into his fixation on defense, a loaded young roster has, for the most part, avoided any depth-chart related drama. He’s gotten the best, or something near it, out of a large handful of players in that locker room. He’s earned the right to be patient with Michael Porter Jr. and his development. Still, that patience looked something closer to stubbornness on Thursday night, as he chose not to bring him into the game until the five-minute mark in the fourth despite leading by as many as 37 in that same quarter.

I take no umbrage with the patient approach, but I also think playing him in that scenario should be a part of that plan.

Game Ball