Grades: Shorthanded Bulls Blitz Denver Nuggets in Second Half

“We come out at halftime, and we stink.”

Michael Malone

Nikola Jokić – B

Jokić picked up a quick-triple double against an aggressive Chicago Bulls defense. The Bulls sent help whenever Jokić even considered scoring, resulting in playmaking mode. Jokić picked up three assists in the first five minutes of game time and looked to be cruising, but the lead disintegrated in the bench’s hands. When Jokić returned, the game had changed, and suddenly Denver needed more from him as a scorer. He did not oblige.

Jokić struggled from the floor, shooting 6 of 17 overall and just 1 of 5 from deep. It feels wrong to criticize a player who just recorded 15 assists along with his 17 points and 12 rebounds, but as Malone said after the game, “Nikola needs to be great (every night),” fair or not. He was good but short of his golden standard. On a positive note: Jokić passed Larry Bird with his 60th career triple-double Monday night. Malone had some thoughts.

“Any time you pass Larry Bird in any category, that is a hell of an accomplishment…the great thing about this is Nikola is in the prime of his career… here’s to 60 more.”

Aaron Gordon – C+

Gordon was aggressive but not at his best in Chicago. His 16 field goal attempts were the third most on the team, but he only connected on seven of them and struggled from distance. Gordon took the LaVine matchup from the jump. He did a decent job in the first half, then LaVine found a rhythm in the second, and no one in a Nuggets uniform could stop him. LaVine led all scorers with 32 points.

Will Barton – C

Barton led all Nuggets with 20 field goal attempts. He only hit eight and couldn’t get his teammates going as a playmaker this time. Despite tying Monte Morris and leading all other Nuggets with 19 points, Barton struggled in Chicago. We can chalk some of that up to a second unit rescue mission, but not all.

Monte Morris – A-

Morris was on his game Monday night. His three-point shot is coming around, and he’s lethal from midrange. Morris shot 3 of 5 from three-point range against the Bulls and shot 8 of 13 overall on his way to 19 points. He went Full Monte with seven assists to one turnover as well. He’s commanding respect on offense now, settling into a starting role, and stepping into every shot with confidence. The mid-range pull-up is a staple of his game and within the circle of trust for the half-court offense. His stock is up right now.

Jeff Green – A-

Green did his part in Chicago. He recorded an efficient double-double and got involved defensively. That’s the type of performance we laud when contributing to a win. It didn’t this time, through minor fault of his own.

Facundo Campazzo – D

Campazzo failed to score in nearly 21 minutes off the bench. He did pick up five assists, but he was painfully committed to the passing game, opting out of wide-open layups and bricking the shots he reluctantly threw up.

Zeke Nnaji – C-

Nnaji came back down to earth against the Bulls. He only shot four times, part of which is a credit to a different gameplan from the defense, and only connected once. He missed his one chance from deep, failed to rebound well, and looked overmatched around the rim on both ends. The latter is an area for growth.

Davon Reed – C-

Mr. Dependable will look just that alongside competent teammates but won’t save any lineups when times are tough. Reed did not score against the Bulls.

JaMychal Green – F

A once dependable rotation player now looks unplayable. Green is seemingly deep in his head as his shooting slump continues. He got eight shots up in 10:37 of playing time and only hit one. Of course, his struggles are pervasive. They extend to his defense, his fouling, and even his screening. There’d be no argument for Green to retain his minutes if Porter were healthy. Even now, Vlatko Čančar, who is admittedly ill-suited to guard traditional fives, has a case to play over Green. It’s growing stronger with each game.