Grades: Jokić and Nuggets Run Bucks Off Own Floor

Nikola Jokić – A+

Jokić wanted that one. He’ll tell you he wants all of them, and on some level, that is, of course, true. But it’s not always reflected in his approach. He came out swinging in Milwaukee. Jokić posted 3 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in the first 5 minutes of action and his teammates recognized the look in his eye. Everyone hopped on the wave as Jokić carved the Bucks up like a plastic surgeon. After posting eight assists in the first quarter alone, he corraled 15 total without playing the fourth.

The Bucks shrink the paint and live with the threes. That’s their defensive identity in a nutshell, and Jokić played it to his advantage. He spent the night probing along the perimeter, launching threes and throwing darts through the cracks, never taking a step without calculating the defenses’ response first. It was workmanlike. It was too easy for the best player alive.

Aaron Gordon – A

Gordon’s shooting the ball so confidently these days, and his three-point shot was his weapon of choice in Milwaukee. AG shot 4 of 8 from deep on his way to 24 points. He does an excellent job of moving off-ball and getting himself shot-ready. He’s not a natural shooter by any means but rarely is he caught off guard when Jokić finds him wide-open. He’s laser-focused on all the right things in Denver.

Will Barton – A

Barton played an exceptional game in Milwaukee. He shot only seven times, knocking down six of them, and picked up five assists through his “Where is Nikola Jokić?” approach. Barton’s been playing good basketball for a couple of weeks now when available. It’s unsurprising to see his resurgence coincide with that of the team.

Monte Morris – A

Monte burst through the other side of the wall with a 4 of 5 shooting performance from deep. The Bucks collapsed, Jokić kicked it out, and someone hit a three. That was Denver’s formula to a blowout win, and Morris got in on the party. He also posted seven assists to just one turnover. The starters rolled.

Jeff Green – D

Except for Jeff Green. I could elaborate, but who wants to hammer Jeff Green after a 36 point win? Not this guy. Keep doing you, Jeff Green.

Austin Rivers – C+

Rivers returned to the bench and churned out another C+ performance. These are the foundation of his turnaround, not just the scoring explosions.

Bones Hyland – B+

Bones picked up six assists as the backup point guard and put his ability to penetrate off the dribble on full display. He locked in from deep too, which, in turn, unlocked the second unit. He looked comfortable in the role again.

Bryn Forbes – B+

Forbes led the second unit with 14 points off the bench. He hit two threes, one in the corner and one coming off a screen, both assists coming from Hyland. He caught the Bucks off guard on the other buckets, looking ready to shoot, only to put the ball back on the floor and make some nifty finishes at the rim.

JaMychal Green – A-

Green played in Cousins’ stead and gave Denver quality minutes. He spent a fair amount of time guarding Giannis, where he battled and prevented the superstar from finding a rhythm, even if he couldn’t stop him from drawing fouls and getting to the line. On the other end, Green did a fine job. He’s an underrated cutter who was on the finishing end of a drive-and-dish from Bones – à la Green’s past connections with Barton.

Zeke Nnaji – B-

Nanji did a decent job on the boards and avoided mistakes. He made a great play in transition, jumping a passing lane, beating everyone to the awkward bounce, and finishing strong at the rim.

Markus Howard – Homecoming

The former Marquette star checked in for garbage time. In true Mahkus fashion, he got four shots up in under four minutes.