Grades: Nikola Jokić dominates with ease, Denver Nuggets pick up first win

Three games into the season, the Nuggets have their first win. Granted, it came against a spiraling Houston organization that carried nine active players into the game, but the Nuggets were in control from the tip. Just about everyone got in on the action thanks to Jokić, who made sure of it with a new career-high 18 assists. The Nuggets finally played 48 complete minutes, and sure enough, they walked away with their first win in Ball Arena.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A+

We spent a good portion of the offseason discussing if Jokić can still improve and what would comprise that leap. The standard answers included: losing weight, working on his three-point shot, and stepping up as a leader. I’m not sure if anyone dared to imagine he’d improve as a playmaker, but the game looks even slower for Jokić than it has in the past. This man is unconscious right now. He finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, 18 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. The 19 came early, and it looked as though he could go for 35+ if he wanted, but that’s not how Jokić approaches the game. He felt the Nuggets were in a good offensive rhythm and insisted on spreading the wealth. If you missed it, this wasn’t 18 easy assists to an open corner shooter off a double team — this was Jokić deep in his bag. He’s directing traffic out there like the game’s greatest players do. Very few players can dominate a half without shooting the way Jokić did the second half of Monday night’s game. File that third-quarter away. You won’t see very many quarters like it. 

Jamal Murray – A-

If you listen closely, you can hear a collective sigh of relief in the city of Denver. Murray picked up where he left off in the second half of the Clippers game, his jumper starting to fall and the pep returning to his step. It didn’t look easy for him out there like it did in the bubble. One of my top takeaways from his performance is his inability to get around anyone right now. But he did create separation with the step back, and he found the bottom of the net. Murray finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists on 7/14 shooting and 4/6 from three.

Paul Millsap – A-

Spread the good word: Millsap isn’t washed just yet. The ever adaptable vet finished with 19 points and 3 rebounds on 7/8 from the field and 3/4 from deep. Millsap doesn’t get enough credit for the transformation of his game and the extension of his career. A football player first, he switched his focus to basketball in high school. That he’s become the shooter he is today is remarkable when one reflects on his career and the trends of when he entered the league. An open Millsap 3 from the wing ranks high on my ‘favorite way to end a possession’ list.

Michael Porter Jr. – B+

Not great, but solid. Porter played well in his role, which is a result Nuggets fans might welcome. We expect Porter to perform at a star level most nights, and he probably will at some point in his career, but we’re not there yet. Can Porter become the third star on this team by excelling in a relatively contained role? He finished with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists Monday night, getting his hands dirty on the glass. That’s what you hope to see from him right now—making a winning impact without needing the ball in his hands too much.

Gary Harris – B+

After some confusing possessions early, Harris settled into a decisive and effective flow. His struggles the last few seasons are well documented, but with that documentation came some misunderstanding. He’s been a good shooter from the corners for a couple of years now. When he’s shot ready and open from that spot on the floor, it’s a reliable way to end a possession. The trouble comes when he hesitates and, or puts the ball on the floor. There’s a small offensive role for Harris with the starters if he’s willing to perform it. Cut hard, finish strong, stay shot ready, and most importantly, be decisive. In my opinion, his best games come when he’s the latter. I’m not buying any stock yet, but I’m happy to hand out a strong grade.

Monte Morris – B+

It’s been a bit of an adjustment year for Morris, who has spent a fair amount of time off-ball in either 3, or 4 guard lineups. That’s a slight change of pace for a traditional floor general, and he hasn’t looked entirely comfortable at times. He did in Monday night’s game, though. Morris finished with 12 points on 5/7 shooting, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 0 turnovers. That’s the good stuff.

PJ Dozier – C+

Dozier was on the floor for some of the biggest runs of the night, finishing the game a ridiculous +24. Still, it was a bit of struggle for him. In just under 20 minutes he finished with 3 points on 1/5 from the floor. Dozier is still about 10% too confident out there.

Will Barton – C+

There’s not much to write home about for ‘Thrill,’ who dropped 11 points off the bench on 5/12 shooting. That said, he too was on the floor for some big runs, as evidenced by his +25. It wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say MPJ was ultimately benched for Barton, but he did take over some of his minutes in the second half.

Isaiah Hartenstein – B-

Hartenstein needs to get out of his own way. He’s playing well when on the court, but can’t seem to help from fouling. The dude is playing bumper cars out there. Nonetheless, he finished with 5 points and 4 rebounds in fewer than 10 minutes.

Garbage Time Boys (Facundo Campazzo, RJ Hampton, Vlatko Cancar, Bol Bol, Zeke Nnaji) – D+