Grades: Nuggets Fall To Jazz Again

Will Barton – C-

Barton couldn’t buy a shot when Denver needed him to emerge as their leading scorer. He almost made up for it with impressive defense on Bojan Bogdanovic, who also struggled from the floor, and by grabbing nine rebounds — the most of any Nuggets player. But that hustle was marred by five turnovers, some of which took him out of the play completely. His frustration boiled over, and his body language sank. An excellent fourth quarter would have salvaged the night and allowed us to zero in on his defense, but he couldn’t pull it together.

Zeke Nnaji – C+

Nnaji grabbed eight rebounds in a spot start, and his defensive versatility was on full display in the small-ball bout to end all small-ball bouts. The Nuggets switched on virtually every screen, something they felt comfortable doing with Nnaji as a big. He looked like a better perimeter defender at times than any of Denver’s guards. Utah abused Denver in the paint without quality POA defense and no true center. That’s unsurprising without size, but as Malone pointed out, defense starts on the perimeter. Nnaji did his part. He shot 0 of 3 from deep, though, which would have boosted him into the B-range.

Jeff Green – D+

Green played fewer than 20 minutes. That’s probably because Denver got slaughtered in the Green minutes.

Austin Rivers – F

Rivers looked like he was sleepwalking in Utah. His scoring will come and go, but his effort was poor when he wasn’t involved in the offense or guarding on-ball. The Nuggets needed complete focus and effort from guys like him.

Monte Morris – C+

Morris was fine offensively, but it’s too easy for opposing guards to blow past him. I think Morris cares and is trying on that end. He’s simply limited.

Davon Reed – A-

Reed was arguably Denver’s best player and is at the center of the only meaningful takeaway after the unavailabowl. Reed should play more. That’s easier said than done, given the state of the rotation, but he provides a lot of what Rivers does on his good nights. I think Rivers has had a good season and is disproportionately maligned. I also believe Reed should supplant him going forward.

Bones Hyland – B

We saw flashes of the highs and the growing pains involved in Bones at point guard. He racked up seven assists and looked comfortable as a scorer. He ran a bench unit that outperformed Denver’s starters in the loss and did it well. He did, however, turn it over four times. Turnovers plagued Denver in a winnable game.

Bryn Forbes – A-

Forbes went for 26 points on 10 of 13 shooting. He’s already showcasing more than just catch-and-shoot ability off the bench. He’s a good offensive player. That said, he’s a genuinely horrid defender. He was great in Utah and deserves praise, but I can’t ignore his striking resemblance to a horse on rollerblades when guarding along the perimeter.

JaMychal Green – B+

Green gave the Nuggets great minutes despite playing the fewest minutes of any Denver player. He battled on the boards and played well defensively, effectively blitzing multiple Mike Conley pick-and-rolls, eventually forcing Utah to use a different screener altogether.