"Frustration is a good thing": The Nuggets are fed up after a third-straight loss

Nikola Jokic’s body language has always been his worst tell. It’s one of the All-World center’s few faults as a player. It’s also something he’s improved on throughout his six NBA seasons. But at times, Jokic’s body language can still tell the story of a night, a stretch of games, or in the case of Denver’s 125-112 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Nuggets’ season.

The moment in question came early in Monday’s fourth quarter. With the Nuggets trailing the Bucks 104-95 and in need of a quality possession and bucket, Jokic passed the ball to Michael Porter Jr. on the right wing. Porter bobbled it, regained control, and then with 16 seconds remaining on the shot clock fired up a three.

If you wanted to know what Jokic thought of Porter’s three-point attempt, just look at his reaction. Jokic dropped his arms and stood flat-footed as the ball bounced off the rim and the Bucks corralled the nearby rebound. Milwaukee raced down the floor, and eight seconds later Bobby Portis sunk his only triple of the night.

“I told him after the game, I think it’s just a bad shot,” Jokic said postgame when asked about the instances vs. Milwaukee where he was visibly frustrated with Porter. “It was not the timing. We kind of had the lead, it was a contested shot. The guy was right there. I think it was just a bad shot in a bad moment. And I want to win the game. He wants to win the game. We want to win the game. Just frustration is something that is part of the game.”

Jokic has always recognized Porter’s talent and skill-set. During Denver’s Seeding Round inside the Disney World bubble, Jokic praised Porter’s ability as a cutter on the heels of a victory over the OKC Thunder where five of Jokic’s 10 assists came via Porter’s baskets. Just two weeks ago, Jokic claimed that he’s confident in Porter “taking any shot” and that when Porter shoots, he always feels like it’s going in.

But Jokic is clearly frustrated. He’s frustrated that the Nuggets entered the season with championship aspirations but are only 12-11 after Monday’s loss to the Bucks. He’s irked that Denver’s now on its first three-game losing streak of the year. Jokic is pissed, and he’s allowed to be based on how he’s had to carry the Nuggets’ offense all season long.

That was the case again Monday, although Jokic had help over the first two quarters courtesy of Will Barton’s 20 first-half points. Then, Denver reverted to the team its largely been so far this season. Jokic scored 23 of the Nuggets’ 50 second-half points. He finished with a game-high 35. Denver’s second-leading scorer in the second half was Monte Morris, who tallied seven points in 18 second-half minutes.

Porter was supposed to ascend to one of the Nuggets’ top offensive options this season and relieve Jokic of some of Denver’s scoring load. Heading into the year, it seemed like everyone around the organization was cognizant that Porter making the leap would be the most likely path to Denver improving on last season’s Western Conference Finals finish, especially after Jerami Grant bolted in free agency. It was the clear next step in the Nuggets’ plan.

“We’re going to need to take Michael Porter to take the next step,” Tim Connelly said prior to the season. “I think that’s a poorly kept secret.”

After Porter broke out late last season with back-to-back 30-point performances in the Seeding Round and some promising showings throughout the Nuggets’ playoff run, there was a sense that Porter’s leap could come rather quickly. Instead, it’s been a slower build. Normally that would be fine for a second-year player who’s only played in 87 career NBA games, but the Nuggets need Porter at his best in order to contend.

Porter averaged 19.5 points across Denver’s first four games of the season and then was out of the lineup and away from the team for the next 2 1/2 weeks after contracting COVID. Besides a 30-point performance in a road win over the Mavs at the tail end of January, Porter has struggled to find a rhythm since returning. The 22-year-old is averaging 8.8 points on 38.1% shooting over his last five games. His confidence has been zapped on offense, and while he’s made strides this season defensively, Porter’s still behind the curve on that end of the floor.

There’s a more pressing concern for the Nuggets though: their starting point guard. Jamal Murray finished with just 11 points against the Bucks on 4-17 shooting. He turned down open threes in the first half and then missed wide-open looks in the second on the way to a 1-7 shooting performance from beyond the arc. This season, Murray has been the same inconsistent regular-season scorer that he’s been his entire career.

The injuries Murray has endured so far this season have definitely played a part. Murray hasn’t been healthy since the Nuggets’ third game of the season when he suffered an elbow contusion against the Rockets. He’s since played through a shoulder sprain and then missed Saturday’s loss in Sacramento with left knee soreness. Murray appeared to hurt his right knee during Monday’s second half too.

In an effort to save his body, Murray has gone away from his normal in-season shooting routine. Currently, he’s only getting up shots on game days.

“I don’t like that. And it’s showing,” Murray said of his altered regimen. “Getting healthy is a priority and I’m just trying to find a way to get my shot.”

Murray also shouldered the blame for the loss.

“I’ve been playing basketball too long to go 4-17 getting all the good looks I want,” he said. “I’ve just got to be better. I’ve got to be way better. I’m not playing at the level I need to right now. I put every loss on me and I’ve just got to be better.”

Perhaps the honesty that Jokic and Murray exhibited Monday will pay dividends going forward. Will Barton also wanted to put the blame on himself for the Nuggets’ defensive effort against the NBA’s top offense this season and Khris Middleton’s 29 points on 9-16 shooting. Middleton went 11-11 from the line too. It continued a season-long trend of opposing small forwards having their way with Denver’s wing defenders.

“That was on me,” Barton said. “Middleton kicked my ass in the low post tonight. All game long, especially in the clutch. I’ve got to be better than that.”

As a team, the Bucks shot 51% from the field and 40% from the three-point line. Milwaukee also out-rebounded Denver 50-38. The Bucks’ 50 rebounds were tied for the second-most the Nuggets have given up this season and Denver’s minus-12 rebound differential was a season-worst.

“We’ve lost three in a row because we haven’t defended anybody,” said Michael Malone.

The Nuggets will of course need better defensive efforts from a roster that’s not exactly flush with defensive stoppers to get back to the Western Conference Finals. Gary Harris and PJ Dozier — Denver’s top-2 perimeter defenders this season — have also missed their last three and six games respectively, and the Nuggets could have used their defense chops against Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee’s guards.

But the Nuggets will also have to give their superstar more offensive help. If Murray doesn’t get healthy and Porter doesn’t climb into a secondary scoring role, can Jokic carry Denver like he already has throughout the rest of the season? The reality is that it’s taken a Herculean effort from Jokic to get the Nuggets to barely above .500.

Or maybe the frustration that boiled over following a third-straight loss will be a turning point. The usually mild-mannered Murray was as irritated as I’ve seen him all season late Monday night when he addressed the media. Jokic was clearly ticked off too.

The good thing about this truncated NBA season is that there’s not a lot of time to stew on your losses. The Nuggets host the Cavs Wednesday.

“I think frustration is a good thing,” Jokic said. “Being mad is a good thing. Getting on yourself or a teammate is a good thing. So it’s just going to make us better hopefully.”