Grades: Nuggets finally give Malone his four-quarter effort

Remember those preseason games against Portland? The bench looked strong, Jokić looked like an MVP, and the vibes were through the roof. Get your New York Knicks jokes out of the way now, before I point out they’ve played well this season, better than Denver before Sunday’s game tipped off. On the second game of a back-to-back, the Denver Nuggets finally gave Michael Malone the four-quarter effort he’s practically begged for since the season began. The starters opened up a lead before the bench, a full second unit, put forth their best stint of the year, and the Nuggets opened up a 22-point lead before halftime. Things are trending up.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A

The Nuggets are back to .500, which means it’s time to launch Jokić’s way-too-early MVP campaign. Big Honey finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on 9/15 shooting. He joins Oscar Robertson as the only players to post 200+ points, 100+ rebounds, and 100+ assists through the first ten games of a season in NBA history:

Nikola Jokic this season:

✅ 244 PTS
✅ 112 REB
✅ 104 AST

He joins Oscar Robertson (1961-62) as the only players in NBA history to record at least 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists through their first 10 games of season. pic.twitter.com/R08egdJDFP

— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) January 11, 2021

Effortless greatness on display, Jokić barely broke a sweat on offense and put forth a strong defensive effort. He was too good to get his triple-double in this one. This game was over by the fourth quarter, thanks to a little help from his second-unit friends.

Gary Harris – A 

I am pleased to write that Harris is at it again. He made due on his goal of following up Saturday’s fantastic performance with another impressive one in New York. Harris finished with 14 points on 6/10 from the floor and 2/4 from deep. This time, he was able to make his expected impact on the defensive end as well. Harris put it all together Sunday night, and Denver folks don’t know what to do with him anymore.

Is he back? It’s too early to say, but it’s hard not to feel hopeful. There’s a dusty lantern flickering in the back of The Garrison. From the outside, thousands stand gathered, waiting to learn it’s back open for business.

Will Barton – C-

It isn’t pretty, but Barton’s trying. He continues to take it to the rack, where he’s struggled significantly this season. I think it’s getting better, but the results are nothing to write home about yet. He was 2/7 from the field in New York. He added four assists as well.

Jamal Murray – C-

What’s up with Jamal Murray? He’s invisible on the court lately, and it’s hard to say if he’s already laboring or simply conserving energy as the rest of the team rounds to form. We expect slow starts from Murray, and truth be told, this is a much better one than he typically turns in. My thought is he’s made an effort not to overextend himself recently, and it’s probably wise to give himself a break when he finds opportunities to do so.

Paul Millsap – C-

Julius Randle took it straight at Millsap from the jump, and for the most part, had his way with the veteran. Millsap struggled in New York, but his understudy had his back.

JaMychal Green – A-

What was Tim Connelly thinking? Why is Malone playing four guards?

Well, as it turns out, the actual plan was to play JaMychal Green — Denver’s measured response to whiffing on Jerami Grant in free agency. That move looks better by the day since his return from injury. Green finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 0 turnovers on 4/5 from the field and 2/2 from deep. Cold Take: he’s a fan favorite by the end of the season if he isn’t already.

Monte Morris – B+

Take a guess on his line if you haven’t checked it out already. Somewhere around 12 points? You nailed it. Did you guess 4 assists? Only 3 this time, actually, but you better believe he didn’t turn the ball over.

Morris now leads the NBA with a 12:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Good lord.

PJ Dozier – B 

Dozier played well Sunday night, hitting three of his four attempts from deep. That jump shot will go a long way to holding onto his playing time as Michael Porter Jr. returns. It’s safe to say Malone likes Dozier and trusts what he can do defensively, but this season hasn’t gone smoothly for him as he’s adapted to a funky role. If Dozier’s spot in the rotation is in jeopardy, he did himself a favor in New York.

Facundo Campazzo – B-

Campazzo’s stat-line is nothing to behold, but he made an impact as one of the lead guards on a second unit that flourished. I thought they got themselves going with a spectacular effort defensively, and Campazzo was a big part of that success. He’s figuring it out.

Isaiah Hartenstein – Personal Foul

Hartenstein fouled out in 11:32 on the court. My colleague Adam Mares said it best: it doesn’t matter how intriguing his talent is if he won’t stop fouling.

Clean-Up Crew (Markus Howard, RJ Hampton, Vlatko Cancar, Bol Bol, Zeke Nnaji)

The Clean-Up Crew took the court together for a second straight game, which is precisely the result you’re looking for in a road back-to-back. Finally, at long last, the Nuggets put together a complete performance that reflects their talent.