Grades: Denver Nuggets Concede Lakers' First Win

Nikola Jokić – B-

After thoroughly outplaying Anthony Davis in a win on Wednesday, AD returned the favor to Jokić in Los Angeles. In a flipped script of the individual matchup, Davis got the better of Jokić in their shared minutes simply by caring more. 

Jokić filled the stat sheet and, as is his propensity, prioritized making life easier for his teammates. That doesn’t sound like a C+ performance, but watching him play Sunday night left some Nuggets fans wanting. It was a nonchalant effort from the effortlessly talented big one end of the floor, and, to be frank, he acted as if the entire operation was beneath him on defense. 

We’ve talked much about Jokić’s maturity over the years and seen tremendous growth, but the next step is clear. However difficult it must be to journey between continents and cultures each summer, it’s still his job to be here at the start of the season, and that’s not too big of an ask. The October blues are losing their charm.

Jamal Murray – B

Murray got off to a tough start in Los Angeles, but that look in his eye returned when times got tough. He got himself going with some incredible shots to save broken possessions and then got hot when the Nuggets’ needed it most. Murray almost saved the day, but a depleted bench unit offered little resistance when the starters left the floor. Twenty-one shots are a lot, yet worth it, considering what he unearthed. His play was the only actual ilver lining in the loss.

Michael Porter Jr. – C+

Porter Jr. hit his first two attempts from deep, then went quiet for a bit. He never re-discovered the rhythm. It’s rare to see MPJ struggle to make shots, but he left some on the board in the third quarter that that I’m sure he wants back. For the most part, the minutes went well for the starters, including MPJ, who battled hard on the glass, and showed he cared. But he lost out on an opportunity for redemption via the second-half stagger due to foul trouble. MPJ is trying hard to defend but struggling to do it without fouling, and it’s among the most significant areas of improvement for him to start the season.

Aaron Gordon – B+

Gordon found his touch in LA, knocking down three of four looks from deep and eating at the rim on his way to 18 points. The AG minutes went well for Denver, and he played with the right level of urgency. 

Gordon also picked up a couple of blocks and some stand-out stops, but there’s still more he can provide on defense. More than perhaps anyone on the roster, AG can impose his will and dictate possession with his physicality. Opposing players should feel him out there; they should fear him out there.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – B–

KCP took the fewest shots of any starter, knocked down three of four 3s, and picked up five assists. Pope returned to action after missing a game with a left ankle sprain, and he played well, but it changed the rotation again — a rotation further rocked by a late scratch to Bones Hyland. The bench paid the price.

The Bench – F 

The Nuggets lost the game during the bench minutes despite any of the above handwringing and nitpicking. Disaster struck in the second half when they took the floor without a starter just one game after Michael Malone pledged not to do so.

Malone was admittedly in a tough spot — Hyland was out, Ish Smith left the game early after unsuccessful minutes anyway, Murray was supposed to be on a restriction, and MPJ was in foul trouble. But at the end of the day, Malone declared a bottom line on the stagger, then ignored it.

The stagger may not have helped, given the sheer futility that defined those minutes. The Nuggets shipped out two rotation-caliber ball handlers for KCP, which should payoff, but there is a small price to pay in that exchange, especially when the backup point guard misses time. The non-Jokić minutes were a nightmare.