Nuggets Game Grades: Gary Harris' shooting burns down Staples Center

Denver rolled (for most of Monday night) to a 113-107 win over the Lakers thanks in a large part to their defense and Gary Harris‘ shooting. Here’s how the Nuggets faired in their second preseason matchup of the young season.

Gary Harris: A

Without a doubt, Harris was the best player on the floor for the Nuggets. Giving Harris another playmaker in the frontcourt in Paul Millsap and unleashing his aggression on defense has Harris looking like a player on the verge of breaking out as one of the premier two-guards in all of basketball. Harris was stroking threes with confidence, slashing into the lane at will, cutting off-ball at an elite level, and was even showing off his improved handles and isolation scoring ability. On defense, he was fighting over screens as if his life depended on it, using his lightning-fast hands to disrupt ball-handlers, and was playing with a level of awareness off-ball that he hasn’t shown in his career thus far. Harris, who finished with 25 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal while shooting a scalding 8-11 from the field and 5-7 from three-point distance is showing that he still has another developmental leap within him. If Harris can continue being this disruptive on defense and productive on offense he could be in the conversation for most improved player of the year.

Nikola Jokic: B-

After a lackluster game against the Golden State Warriors, Jokic continued his inconsistent play through the preseason. For the first half against the Lakers, Jokic was unable to find a groove or fit with the Nuggets starting five. He found himself out around the three-point line far too often and was unable to get involved in the Nuggets new-look offense but once the third quarter rolled around Jokic began asserting himself. He was able to contribute eight points in the third quarter on 3-5 shooting and was 2-2 from three-point land. He was assertive, aggressive, and became the focal point of the Nuggets offense on his own accord. Jokic finished with 16 points, two rebounds, three assists and a block in 23 minutes as his up-and-down preseason continues but at least he showed the ability to face the issue and get himself involved. For the Nuggets to make noise this season they will need Jokic to be the All-Star player he is capable of being.

Emmanuel Mudiay: C-

Mudiay came into the Nuggets matchup with the Lakers looking to prove that he belongs in the battle for opening day starting point guard. He’s already started his campaign by coming into the season stronger and in better shape than ever before. After putting together a 19-point and four-assist effort against the Warriors on Saturday, Mudiay then came out against the Lakers and failed to build on his success. While he wasn’t awful, he wasn’t able to show that he has grown out of some of the rookie mistakes that plagued him thus far in his career. Mudiay finished with six points, three rebounds, and four assists in 23 minutes but also had four lazy turnovers. Mudiay had a great opportunity to seize control of the starting point guard role but ultimately fell short against the Lakers. His defense is improved but there are still far too many unforced errors that have the potential to kill the Nuggets offensive rhythm.

Jamal Murray: C

Murray came into the matchup with the Lakers looking to re-establish himself as the leading candidate for the Nuggets starting point guard role. Mudiay has been the talk of camp and, if you compared the two in a vacuum, Mudiay fits better into Malone’s prerequisites for the Nuggets starting point guard; fit with Jokic and Millsap, play with pace, and great effort on defense. After a quiet performance against the Warriors, Murray came out against the Lakers and continued to struggle, posting a line of just seven points, one rebound, and three assists. Murray needs to show that he can be the explosive scorer that Denver drafted him to be. So far, Murray has been hesitant and has been differing to other playmakers far too often. Neither Murray or Mudiay have separated themselves in this tightly contested starting point guard competition.

Kenneth Faried: C-

After not playing a single minute against the Warriors, Faried played the lions share of backup power forward minutes while Trey Lyles, who played instead of Faried against Golden State, rested. Malone said he wanted to evaluate the backup power forward position battle by giving both players “meaningful minutes.” Unfortunately, Faried did not do much with his opportunity. He struggled defensively all night as Kyle Kuzma consistently torched him on the perimeter and he was unable to bring any offensive production outside of getting to the free-throw line a couple times. It is seeming more and more like Trey Lyles is a shoo-in for the backup power forward minutes. Faried finished with eight points, four rebounds, and one steal in 21 minutes.

Paul Millsap: C

Millsap’s game against the Lakers was nothing incredible and his stat sheet did not really pop off the page. While he may not have made as large of an impact as he did against the Warriors, Millsap did all the little things that make him special and was impactful in a plethora of different facets. Millsap was playing pesky defense as he accumulated two steals and two blocks while being disruptive on almost every defensive possession he was on the floor while also not trying to force the issue offensively. Overall, Millsap had a productive but not stellar night.

Mason Plumlee: B

The only thing keeping Plumlee from getting an A was that he was completely unable to hit his free throws going 1-5 from the charity stripe on the night. Outside of awful free-throw shooting, Plumlee put together a productive and sound game. He rebounded well, set solid screens, and was even able to make the spacing work alongside Faried, who takes up quite a bit of real estate in the paint. Overall, it’s hard not to like how Plumlee has played throughout the first two preseason games.

Juancho Hernangomez: B

Hernangomez had a strange night. On one hand, he was showing off his hidden playmaking ability while hitting a three in the first half and rebounding well. Once the Nuggets pulled way in the fourth quarter, Hernangomez’s leash became a bit longer and he began gunning. Hernangomez managed to get up six shots in the final frame, hitting three of them including a perfect 2-2 from beyond three-point distance for a total of eight points in the final 12 minutes. As long as Hernangomez continues to hit threes and work hard defensively he will help this Nuggets team and that is exactly what he did tonight.