Grades: Nuggets take care of Warriors in Ball Arena

The Denver Nuggets took their special edition Mile High City court in the fan-favorite blues Thursday night. The Golden State Warriors donned their yellow ‘Statement Uniform .’ We had ourselves some gorgeous visuals to match an exciting game on National Television. Bol Bol caught a surprise start, Jokić surprised no one with a triple-double, and JaMychal Green earned substantial praise in the post-game interviews.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A+

Jokić was exceptional on both ends of the floor. While it felt like an off shooting night for him — he did miss all four of his three-point attempts — he nevertheless shot 50% from the field. He took 16 shots on his way to 23 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals. The triple-doubles are no longer content worthy. We practically expect them now. But I didn’t expect the A+ post-game availability he delivered as well. When asked about his propensity for stealing the ball — tied at fourth in the NBA with 1.9 per game — Jokić smiled, then recalled the name of an old friend and Nuggets legend.

“Mike Miller used to say I am a cookie monster,” Jokić joked. “Maybe I am not that good defensively, but I am a Cookie Monster.”

That’s golden stuff from Denver and Serbia’s golden boy. And if you can believe it, it wasn’t even his best quote of the night. Don’t worry, I’ll feed you baby birds, but I’ll save the reveal for the next grade.

JaMychal Green – A-

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

Played well, hit threes

— Brendan Vogt (@BrendanVogt) January 15, 2021

JaMychal Green played well, hitting three 3’s.

After the game, Mike Singer of the Denver Post asked Jokić about Green fitting in so well. Jokić didn’t mince words:

“JaMychal is a guy that I would like to play with for the rest of my life.”

The vibes are immaculate.

Paul Millsap – B-

Millsap got hot early, dropping 8 points in the first quarter. From there, he cooled off, predictably. The ever-discussed trade-off between Millsap and his eventual understudy has begun. Green played more minutes than Millsap, and it won’t be the last time that occurs either.

Jamal Murray – C+

Murray couldn’t find much of a rhythm with his jump shot, but that didn’t deter him from remaining aggressive and finding ways to get to the rim. Malone mentioned he’s been “on him” about doing just that and also noted his nine rebounds. Murray gritted through a tough night, although he couldn’t always find that energy on defense.

Will Barton – B-

Barton shot reasonably well from deep again, draining 3 of his 8 attempts from three-point range. Getting to the rim, on the other hand, remains an arduous task for him. He finished 6/15 from the field en route to 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. I thought some of his best moments were of a particular nature that won’t reflect in the box score. I’ll die on the hill that Barton is a Jokić-player. He understands how to get him the ball and when to get him the ball. The missed late-game opportunities linger in the minds of those with long memories, and in some instances, rightfully so. But I think these two understand each other well on the court. That stood out to me Thursday night.

Bol Bol! – C+

Bol played fewer than 10 minutes despite starting again, and his performance remains challenging to evaluate. He didn’t look entirely out of place, which, to be frank, is the bar at this stage in his career. There were some rookie moments, though, like open shot opportunities resulting in turnovers. Bol should let it fly in those scenarios. These opportunities are rare for a player of his age, and his teammates pass it to him for a reason.

PJ Dozier – B

PJ Composure! Dozier cleaned up his act with a 4/6 shooting performance in just about 23 minutes of playing time. The six might be just as encouraging as the four. That’s probably the limit on a healthy contribution from him on nights when the offense is thriving. After the game, Malone spoke on the importance of “gang rebounding” and the guards getting in on the action. Dozier contributed six boards to that tally.

Monte Morris – B

Morris is so good. He’s almost impossible to properly appreciate at this point. I do, however, regret to inform you that he turned the ball over (1) Thursday night.

Get it together, Monte.

Isaiah Hartenstein – C-

Hartenstein picked up his first foul in what felt like no more than five seconds after he checked in — I’m convinced it’s some kind of bit at this point. Which, if it is, please stop.

That was his lone foul in 6:43 of action, but he failed to put his finger prints on this win.

Facundo Campazzo – C+

Campazzo spent 12 minutes on the floor Thursday night, and only one moment sticks out. He was open in the right corner on Denver’s final possession of a pivotal third quarter. Hard Cash.

Campazzo has a contained and modest clutch-shooter thing going on right now. I dig it.