Grades: Nikola Jokić dominates Utah Jazz

The Denver Nuggets are cruising after stopping the hottest team in the NBA dead in its tracks. The Utah Jazz is the sharpest buzzsaw in the league right now. Or, was, before they ran into Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. Denver’s superstar was transcendent, putting together his best scoring performance of the season (T–Career High: 47) and perhaps his most dominant performance yet in this MVP campaign.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A+

It seems like a choice for Nikola Jokić. When he’s at his best, it does seem that simple. The Utah Jazz chose not to send help, and he decided to hang 47 on their heads.

Derrick Favors once presented one of the more significant challenges in the league for Jokić. One couldn’t tell Sunday afternoon. The Jazz tried to let Rudy Gobert roam free and shut down driving lanes by assigning him to Paul Millsap. But that left poor Bojan Bogdanovic to check an MVP front runner. That didn’t work either. And so, it was Gobert tasked with living up to his defensive reputation and shutting Jokić down. Baby food.

Pick a spot on the floor, and chances are Jokić found a way to do damage there. He was at once a sharpshooter from deep, a bruising powerhouse down low, and a graceful dancer twirling across the lane. He finished with 47 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists on 17/26 shooting and 4/4 from deep. He dotted their eyes with jumpers. He backed them down and went through them. He faked passes into shots, shots into passes, and left the former defensive player of the year borderline stunned. He went to work right away, dropping 22 points in the first quarter on 9/11 shooting. Unlike some past performances, though, he kept his foot on the gas for the entire race. He didn’t want a photo finish at the line. He tried to lap those guys.

That’s how a leader responds to the mounting frustration we saw in San Antonio. That’s how an MVP handles his business.

Will Barton III – A-

Barton rebounded from some dismal performances with a quality start, playing the Robin to Jokic’s Batman. He finished with 18 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds on 6/11 shooting and 5/6 from deep. The three-point shooting was important, but some of Barton’s best moments in the win came as a facilitator. He remains underrated in his ability to feed Jokić. He’s patient with his post-entry looks and savvy in the pick-and-roll — probing, dancing, waiting for short windows to find the most dangerous man on the court. They played so well together.

Jamal Murray – B

Murray got hot early, scoring 7 of his 16 points in the first quarter. From there, the wheels loosened on the offensive end. He finished just 7/16 from the floor and 2/6 from deep. However, the Nuggets flew around defensively for short stretches of this game. The Jazz took and converted a boatload of threes, as they tend to do, but the Nuggets played with infectious energy on that end of the floor — Murray included. He played to win.

Paul Millsap – B

Millsap gave Denver all that we can expect in this matchup. He logged 21:49 and scored 10 points on 4/6 from the floor and 2/2 from deep. Millsap also produced The Good Vibes moment of the game after finishing a fast-break flip from Murray with a two-handed flush at the rim. He barely cleared it, which made it harder to contain a smile as he celebrated with Michael Porter Jr. I also want to revisit Millsap nearly banishing Gobert to the shadow realm in the first half. He took him off the dribble and turned back the clock with a ferocious dunk attempt. He almost did it, and I won’t forget it.

Gary Harris – N/A

Although it’s unclear what the catalyst might be or when it occurred, Harris experienced discomfort at some point in the game. He was pulled with a Left Adductor Strain and would not return.

Micahel Porter Jr. – C+

Porter failed to respond to Malone’s quick hook with the type of energy his head coach desires. His worst moment came when he forced a sloppy contested fallaway jumper just feet away from a wide-open Jokić. In the subsequent defensive possession, he gambled, inexplicably, for a steal. It bounced right underneath his hand and found a wide-open corner shooter. He still scored 11 points on 4/7 from the field, but he looked disjointed, confused, and on the outside looking in on a great win.

JaMychal Green – B

I’m going to start prewriting JaMychal Green’s grades:

Played well, hit threes

— Brendan Vogt (@BrendanVogt) January 15, 2021

Run it back.

Monte Morris – B-

He recorded five assists and zero turnovers: The Monte.

Facundo Campazzo – B+

Campazzo’s first stint was brutal, but from there, he turned in his best game yet in a Nuggets uniform. He finished with 11 points and 5 assists with no turnovers in 19:11 on the court. He was 2/4 from deep and followed up an airball with a big three the very next possession. He put the ball through the hoop, finally got to flex a little as a playmaker, and played some solid defense.

You can call him Facu.

RJ Hampton – N/A

Hampton played five-plus minutes again in the absence of PJ Dozier. He’s mostly just running around out there, but he’s playing hard and cutting with purpose. It’s a strong endorsement that Malone appears eager to hand him this opportunity.