Grades: Nikola Jokić delivers in win over Memphis Grizzlies

The Denver Nuggets returned to action Friday night, and NBA Superstar Nikola Jokić picked up where he left off. It seems the Nuggets can never win easily in Memphis, and this one went down to the wire. The ball was in Ja Morant’s hands for the final possession after Denver lost him on the out-of-bounds play. He had a chance to seal the Grizzlies’ win but noted defensive sieve Jokić jumped straight up and contested the layup, which rolled off the rim. It was the cherry on top of another clutch effort from the dark horse MVP candidate.

Jokić rolled, Jamal Murray struggled, and Will Barton III balled out in his old city.

To the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A+

Jokić fell to the floor after “tweaking” his ankle when positioning for a rebound. The world seemed to stop turning for a few minutes, but he asked Michael Malone if he could return shortly after leaving the game. He returned, and then he delivered a win. Jokić finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and seven of those points came in the final frame.

After the game, a reporter asked Jokić about the pressure on stars to validate themselves by winning and how that drives them to form super teams. Predictably, Jokić had no comment on how other stars carry themselves, but then he took his answer where every Nuggets fan hoped he would.

“I’d rather win (a championship) with the Nuggets than win it with any other team,” he said plainly.

Jamal Murray – D-

Jamal Murray was well on his way to burying the inconsistent label, a term that’s followed him throughout his short career and held him out of the All-Star game this year. He rode the most sustained scoring outburst of his career into the break, but he tripped and fell out of the gate to restart the season. He finished 1 of 14 from the field and Memphis and scored just three points in nearly 33 minutes.

Michael Porter Jr. – A-

Porter enjoyed this win over Memphis. He shot the ball well (8 of 13 from the floor, 2 of 4 from deep), corralled nine rebounds, and swatted a Jonas Valanciunas layup out of the air. He committed defensively, locked in offensively, and brimmed with optimism after the game.

He also weighed in on the Small Forward vs. Power Forward conversation, a decreasingly interesting debate as he continues to play well at the latter position. He pushed back a little on the notion the position change unlocked so much for him. He mentioned he’s simply in a “groove” now, and the reality is he’s out there spacing the floor in either role.

Will Barton III – B+

Barton played his college ball in Memphis, which he’s referred to as “the best two years of his life.” He tends to play confidently in FedEx Forum, and he dropped 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting, including 5 of 10 from deep. He backed Jokić up with five fourth-quarter points of his own, including a critical three late in the game. Barton is now shooting a career-high 40% from deep on the season. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 16 points on 50 FG% and 46 3P%.

Barton, too, joined in on a remarkably open media session. He articulated a plan he outlined for himself in recovering from his knee injury. It included getting his body right first, knowing he’d have the season to rediscover his game. He feels that approach is beginning to bear fruit.

Monte Morris – B-

Morris didn’t shoot very well, but he recorded five assists as the starting point guard and drew praise from his head coach for his defense after the game. Morris had the Morant assignment and played him well (Morant shot 5 of 16 from the floor), much like he did with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before the break. “Your defense starts on the ball,” Malone said. Morris is taking that challenge on.

Paul Millsap – B+

Dad’s back, and he brought gifts. Millsap returned to action off the bench, where he led all players in minutes. JaMychal Green was on track to return as well but was unavailable due to a stomach illness. As a result, Millsap played the backup four, and Isaiah Hartenstein joined him in the backup frontcourt. Millsap shot 4 of 7 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked two shots.

PJ Dozier – C-

We got a heavy dose of Dozier Friday night when he logged nearly 22 minutes of playing time. It wasn’t his best performance. Dozier shot just 1 of 6 from the floor and recorded only one assist. In his defense, virtually the entire bench struggled.

Facundo Campazzo – C

Campazzo also returned to action picking up eight points and four assists in his return. He played with his trademark energy, but Denver lost the bench minutes.

Isaiah Hartenstein – C+

Hartenstein only played about 10 minutes. He grabbed two rebounds, blocked two shots, and made his only field goal attempt.