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Grades: Shorthanded Nuggets Fall to Bulls in Ball Arena

Brendan Vogt Avatar
November 20, 2021

Aaron Gordon – A

Gordon rebounded from one of his worst games in a Nuggets uniform with one of his best. He scored 28 points on 12 shots, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out four assists. He resisted the urge to settle for jump shots and attacked the rim with conviction. Gordon bullied his way to the rack and the free-throw line, shooting 7 of 9 from the stripe.

Gordon also helped make DeMar DeRozan uncomfortable from the field, although six of his 12 free throws came in the game’s final minutes to seal the win.

Will Barton – A-

On Thursday night, it was Barton and Jokić, and on Friday, it was Barton and Gordon. Thrill brought the energy and efficiency for the second straight night, scoring 23 points on 16 shots. Barton had to work for it. He drew the Alex Caruso matchup, and Caruso was a terror all night. Barton found limited success in that matchup (every Nugget did when Caruso guarded them) but did damage when the Nuggets forced a switch or ran the floor. Most notably, his eyes lit up when he saw DeRozan.

Jeff Green – C-

It took Jeff thirty seconds of game time to top his impressive array of 0’s from Thursday night. Within that half-minute, Green grabbed a rebound and recorded an assist. He finished the game with four assists as the Nuggets moved the ball well without their fulcrum at center. Unfortunately, Green’s still struggling to score and can rarely be bothered to defend.

Austin Rivers – C+

It’s hard to believe the Nuggets are starting Austin Rivers again. Nice things always seem just out of reach. But truthfully, Rivers is improving his play. While his nine points and solid perimeter defense aren’t much to write home about, it’s a reasonable contribution from a third-string guard thrust into a starting role and, in this case, playing without any stars.

Monte Morris – C-

Morris logged a Full Monte with five assists and zero turnovers, but he struggled to score and defend. Ultimately, Malone went away from Morris to close the game. To where you might ask? To the pleasant surprise of the night.

Facundo Campazzo – B+

Campazzo kept Denver’s proverbial head above water with a high-energy stint in the second half. He put his fingerprints on a run with some pesky defense and then found his groove from beyond the arc — shooting 4 of 5 from deep en route to 16 points. He also logged two rebounds, four assists, and two steals. It was his best game of the season, and he closed alongside the starters.

Bones Hyland – C-

The education of Bones Hyland continues. After passing his first few tests with flying colors, Bones is hitting a wall of sorts. Whether the ankle is contributing to the mini-slump or not, he’s slumping all the same. Remember, it’s not supposed to be easy at this level.

PJ Dozier – C+

Dozier grabbed a team-high ten rebounds. He’s typically at his best when he’s attacking the glass. Unfortunately, his one-on-one defense faltered on a night the Nuggets needed it. Zach LaVine and DeRozan each scored too easily on one of Denver’s best defenders.

JaMychal Green – D

Green’s done nothing to earn these continued minutes beyond staying healthy. With Vlatko Cancar on his way back and Zeke Nnaji eventually returning, there’s a strong argument for trying either of them over Green. Some might argue there’s a strong argument for Bol Bol as well, but Michael Malone disagrees. Bol logged another DNP against the Bulls.

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