Nuggets-Blazers Grades: Nikola Jokic is playing at a different level

The Denver Nuggets pulled off an impressive 116-113 win in an entertaining back and forth matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to another masterful performance from Nikola Jokic. With the win, Denver remains undefeated in the Northwest division.

We grade every performance from the Nuggets with our Dynamic Player Rating (DPR), which take into account 12 different statistical factors.

Note: for DPRs that are lacking context, our beat reporters are offering their scout’s grade.

Nikola Jokic (A+) 94.42 — It doesn’t get much better than Jokic’s game on Sunday night. He scored a season-high 40 points on 73 percent eFG% while falling just two assists short of a triple-double. As if that wasn’t enough, Jokic massacred former Nugget center Jusuf Nurkic and was crucial in closing out the game with a huge floater to put Denver ahead with just over a minute left. He was also dishing out dimes left and right, including a one to Mason Plumlee on an alley-oop which was a thing of beauty. His style points were out of this world in this one.

The 23-year old was also a game-high plus-15. He was simply dominant. His 38 percent USG% and 141 ORtg were both off the charts marking the Joker’s third-best performance of the year, per DPR and fourth-best by any Nugget this season.

Jamal Murray (B-) 67.14 — Murray’s biggest contribution was in the clutch as he made a tough jumper and then pulled down one of the most important rebounds in the Nuggets’ season, as he followed up his late-game miss and went to the line to close the game out. He shot it well inside the arc with a 59 percent TS% while scoring 24 points and making all of his five attempts at the line. He had to shoulder a decent amount of the offensive load with a 31 percent USG% in a hard-fought game where he ended up with a -4 plus-minus.

Scout’s Grade (A) — I thought Murray was better than what his grade said against Portland. He was efficient from the field, hitting 9 of his 18 attempts and only committed two turnovers in 33 minutes. He was steady throughout on the defensive end too, limiting Lillard to just 8-21 shooting. Murray’s rebound off his own late-game miss was big too.

Paul Millsap (C) 54.64 — Millsap had a somewhat quiet game and wasn’t a killer defensively with a 122 DRtg. His biggest contributions came with his efficient shooting, scoring 11 points on 66 percent TS%. He added six boards, with three coming on the offensive end, in a -7 night.

Malik Beasley (C+) 62.21 — Starting has helped Beasley, as he’s averaging a 66.20 DPR as of late, a full 10 points higher than his season average. Against Portland, he was efficient making 72 percent of his shots per eFG% resulting in a 131 ORtg. He scored 13 points in 37 minutes while adding three assists and two steals.

Torrey Craig (D) 44.13 — Craig’s offensive and defensive ratings failed him in an off night where he only scored three points and pulled down four boards. He did finish a plus-nine, so his contribution went beyond the box score, but he had a limited impact otherwise in an outing where his 121 DRtg was far from exceptional.

Mason Plumlee (C) 55.62 — Plumlee put on a dunking clinic with some nasty finishes as he and Jokic outscored the Blazer bigs by 21 points. Those nifty finishes around the rim led Plumlee to eight points. He added seven boards in 21 minutes and finished a plus-seven.

Monte Morris (B-) 65.32 — Going against Portland’s tough guard rotation is no easy task, but Morris was efficient, making five of his six shot attempts while adding three assists, two steals and zero turnovers. That efficiency led Denver’s back up point guard to a team-high 172 ORtg.

Will Barton (D+) 45.96 — Barton’s still working off the rust since returning from injury, and although he scored seven points in 14 minutes, he wasn’t all that accurate from the floor, making two of six attempts. He also finished with a -8 plus-minus, which dropped his grade. He did drain a three and showed glimpses of himself with a tough contested pull-up jumper. But his impact was limited.

Juancho Hernangomez (F) 29.41 — In a breakout season where he averaged a 60.09 DPR until January 3rd, Juancho’s production has fallen off a cliff since Millsap’s return to the court, averaging a 35.27 DPR over the last six games. This game saw that trend continue as the Nuggets’ forward went scoreless and added just one board in 12 minutes. He finished as a team-low -10 plus-minus.