Grades: Nikola Jokić Returns, Aaron Gordon Stars in Nuggets Win Over Mavericks

Despite managing a Right Knee Contusion, Nikola Jokić suited up and started for the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Jokić conducted on one end, and Aaron Gordon dominated the other as his defense on Luka Doncic paved the way for a blowout victory in Ball Arena.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A

Jokić barely broke a sweat and barely looked to shoot, yet controlled the outcome all the same. He kept one arm pointed at the officials, fixed in a perpetual state of protest, and one arm on the Dallas defense, holding them at bay the way an older brother fends off his smaller siblings. While he only shot nine times for 11 points, he dominated the glass with 16 rebounds and recorded eight assists, by, in some cases, literally pointing and telling his teammates where to stand.

Love Jokic here. Organizes the whole offense, specifically sending Gordon from the wing to the dunker spot knowing he was gonna find him on the short roll for the Layup And-1 pic.twitter.com/TcZnZoyspn

— CJ (@CJenkins_Wx) October 30, 2021

He was the conductor, ever in charge of the game’s tempo, and unfazed by the scale of the symphony. Few players can impact the game without scoring the way he does. The difference between him and most of his peers in that regard is that Jokić can give you 35 when he wants to.

Aaron Gordon – A+

Gordon filled in admirably as a top option in Utah when Jokić went down. Friday night’s matchup called for a different approach altogether, and Gordon heeded it. He scored an efficient 15 points, overshadowed by his exceptional work guarding Luka Doncic. That is why Denver tabbed Aaron Gordon as the final step. Not just his defensive prowess, but especially his penchant for shutting down ball-dominant wings, and even more specifically, his success guarding Luka.

Check out these numbers from before Friday’s lockup, courtesy of Wind:

In five career matchups, Aaron Gordon has held Luka Doncic to 16-50 (32%) shooting per https://t.co/0JYGuR9H7m tracking. The last time Gordon faced the Mavs (1/9/21), Doncic scored just 20 pts on 7-20 shooting. Tonight's the first time they'll meet since Gordon arrived in Denver. pic.twitter.com/5meIZmeM1i

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) October 29, 2021

Gordon looks pretty comfortable guarding a player who makes so many defenders look hopeless.

Michael Porter Jr. – C

The story hasn’t changed. The shot remains wayward. The win over Dallas, though, is an excellent example of how perspective can change everything. Had Porter knocked down, say, four of his six attempts from deep instead of just the one, we might have spent the postgame show highlighting his marginal improvements in the areas of concern.

Does Porter suddenly look comfortable handling the ball? No. But he does look improved from last season. We saw flashes of that when he took it to the rack confidently against Dallas. He’s still a liability on defense at times but can make a positive impact, as he did Friday night, clogging passing lanes and disrupting flow with his length. And, of course, no one would describe Porter as a natural playmaker, yet we’ve seen improvement there as well. He showed that with two or three high-level passes against the Mavs, even if he only recorded one assist.

None of this adds up to a great player without his otherworldly shotmaking. He has to be better, and there’s no way around that. Still, we might be singing a different tune when the shots go in. And they will.

Will Barton – A

Will Barton is at the peak of his powers now, and I feel compelled to reiterate what that means. Despite a somewhat erroneous reputation as a chucker, which he certainly can be at his worst, Barton contributes to winning in various ways when playing well. Need a secondary playmaker? Check. Need some rebounding from your guards? Check. Need a starter to play with the bench? Check. How about some efficient scoring bursts and pick-and-roll chemistry with the best player on the team? Check.

Best of all, save for a few shots we all agree on, he understands what buttons to press and when right now. He’s been Denver’s second-best player, and that’s before one takes his improved defense at his natural position into account. Will we feel the Thrill all year long? It’s only fair to expect that consistency from stars, which Barton isn’t. It will probably get ugly at times. Just remember how Denver looks when he’s playing well. They’re a different team.

Monte Morris – A-

This game didn’t call for many contributions from Morris, but he got his chances in the second quarter and delivered. He shot 3 of 5 from the field on his way to 6 points in that quarter alone. He, PJ Dozier, Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green, and Nikola Jokić opened the game up in the second. Morris looked significantly more comfortable in each of his last two performances.

PJ Dozier – B

It wasn’t all Gordon Friday night — Dozier took the late shift at the penitentiary as well. Both kept Doncic in his cell. Dozier still gets sped up too easily on offense, but he’s a high-impact defender.

Jeff Green – B+

Green led all bench scorers with 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting. He’s remarkably athletic still, given his basketball age.