Nuggets-Celtics Grades: Torrey Craig makes his case for significant playoff minutes

The Denver Nuggets are back in the postseason following a convincing 114-105 road victory in Boston over the Celtics.

We grade every performance from the Nuggets with our Dynamic Player Rating (DPR), which takes 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) 85.29 — Jokic led the way in one of his more well-rounded performance of the year despite only registering his 13th-highest DPR this season. His defense in Boston was extraordinary. Jokic recorded with two steals, three blocks, an impressive 94 DRtg, and 13 rebounds. Offensively, the Joker wasn’t a slouch either, scoring 21 points on a 75 eFG% helped by his 3-7 performance from beyond the arc. He added seven assists in a plus-15 night and ran the offense masterfully, creating quality shots for Denver time and time again in the fourth quarter.

Jamal Murray (C) 54.97 — Murray’s stats don’t look too impressive when compared to others in Denver’s backcourt, but a passing grade was still earned. Murray scored 11 points on a plus-8 night, adding four rebounds and two assists. The advanced stats hurt him though, as his 50 eFG% wasn’t spectacular and his 89 ORtg and 112 DRtg were both underwhelming.

Paul Millsap (B) 69.54 — Millsap has been impressive lately, averaging a 74.23 DPR in his last four games, over 10 points higher than his season average of 63.36. His night in Boston wasn’t any different as Millsap was again efficient, scoring 12 points on a 72 TS%, including the dagger 3 late in Monday’s fourth quarter. That efficiency translated to a 159 ORtg. Millsap was also a plus-5 on the night. He added 11 rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end, and five assists.

Will Barton (C+) 60.95 — Barton scored when he was needed to, finishing with 20 points on a 58 eFG% although he did have a low 91 ORtg. In 32 minutes, Barton played his part finishing a plus-3, and also with two assists and four rebounds. Had he been a bit sharper than his 28 percent shooting from beyond the arc Barton could have easily gotten into the B range.

Gary Harris (B-) 64.63 — Harris had an interesting outing. His shot wasn’t clicking inside the arc but he made both of his free throws and shot 57 percent from distance. It resulted in a 57 TS% in Boston. His presence was felt throughout the game as he finished with 16 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in a plus-5 outing. His 108 DRtg wasn’t at Jokic’s level but it was still solid.

Malik Beasley (C-) 52.28 — Beasley was quiet aside from a dunk and his one made 3, finishing with a poor 31 eFG%. His 79 ORtg was one of his worst of the year too. Beasley’s 102 DRtg was strong. He snatched up two steals and was a plus-4 in 19 minutes.

Monte Morris (C+) 61.74 — Morris played a steady game, scoring 11 points on a 61 eFG% with a 142 ORtg. He did only dish out two assists in 19 minutes but stayed turnover-free in a plus-1 night, A lack of rebounds and other peripheral stats held him back from receiving a higher score.

Mason Plumlee (D+) 48.48 — Plumlee wasn’t super impactful in 21 minutes, only scoring three points on woeful shooting percentages while only hauling in two rebounds. He did dish out four assists with one steal and two blocks which salvaged his grade.

Torrey Craig (B-) 68.87 — Craig seemed to be the perfect counter to the Celtics playing a terrific 21 minutes where his impact was felt constantly, especially on defense where he ended up with a 104 DRtg. He was strong offensively too, scoring 13 points on a 78 eFG%, with eight rebounds and two assists. Craig had the second-best plus-minus of any Nugget on the night. In fact, this marked Craig’s fifth-best DPR of the year, in what felt like a bit of a playoff preview with him inserted into the lineup.