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Nuggets Game Grades: Jamal Murray, Kenneth Faried shine in blowout win

T.J. McBride Avatar
October 5, 2017

The Denver Nuggets blew out the Los Angeles Lakers again for a 128-107 victory and it really wasn’t even that close. Here’s how the Nuggets dismantled the Lakers for a second straight game.

Jamal Murray: A

After amassing just 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists over his first two preseason games, Murray exploded for 20 points on just seven shots, including five three-pointers, to go with two assists and two steals. Not only did he shoot at an elite level but his defensive aggression was again evident as it has been all preseason. Finally, Murray has arrived.

Kenneth Faried: A

The awkwardness surrounding Faried and the Nuggets is very evident but that did not stop Faried from being an absolute monster from start to finish versus the Lakers even if he was playing with a group that would be considered third string on Denver’s roster. On the offensive end, he could not be stopped and he was easily able to convert 11 of his 13 shot attempts and was very active defensively. Faried also showed off a renewed vigor when defending one on one. Overall, this was the Faried of old.

Juancho Hernangomez: A

Hernangomez showed everything against the Lakers that has the Nuggets’ organization so excited. His three-point shot was as lethal as it has always been as he hit 4-6 from deep, He was playing disruptive and aggressive defense, and continued showing an aptitude as a secondary facilitator. Hernangomez is not taking guys off of the bounce but his ability to see the floor and make the smart pass is a highly underrated part of his game. Hernangomez’s performance against the Lakers was just another performance to support the idea that he has the potential to be a highly valuable player in the NBA for a long time.

Mason Plumlee: A

With Nikola Jokic out against the Lakers with a right elbow sprain, it was Mason Plumlee who stepped into the starting lineup and put together what could be considered a Jokic-esque performance. Plumlee was dropping highlight-quality dimes all night and was an absolute terror on the glass accumulating 13 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists in 26 minutes. Even defensively, where Plumlee still has a way to go, he was so active and aggressive that he was able to mitigate some of his weaknesses on effort alone. Overall, this was one of the best two-way performances we’ve seen from Plumlee in a Nuggets’ uniform.

Emmanuel Mudiay: C

Mudiay, who has been the talk of training camp, took a step back in the battle for the starting point guard role against the Lakers on Wednesday. He reverted back to his usual struggles holding onto the ball leading to five turnovers in just 21 minutes of playing time and did not run the offense with the same level of control that he had displayed in the first two preseason games. Considering that the Nuggets frontcourt of Paul Millsap and Jokic is still working out their issues it seems that adding in Mudiay’s inconsistencies to that pairing may do more hard then good for all parties involved. Nuggets’ coach Michael Malone has said that he wants to have his opening night rotation set before the Nuggets take on the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday and if that remains true, it seems that Mudiay will find himself sitting on the bench when the ball is tipped for the first time in Utah to start the 2017-18 regular season.

Trey Lyles: A

Lyles continues to impress as he gets more and more playing time. Finally, shots began to fall for him and the Nuggets had the chance to see the benefits of the spacing he could bring to the bench unit. Because of his floor spacing, Plumlee was able to slice up the Laker defense finding Hernangomez or Murray for three-pointers while also keeping the paint wide open for easy layups or post opportunities. Not to be stood up by his teammates, Lyles also showed a ton of energy on defense and eventually totaled four steals on the night. Lyles’ skill-set fits unbelievably well not just within the Nuggets offensive philosophy but also alongside Plumlee. It seems the Nuggets have their answer at backup power forward.

Will Barton: B

Barton finds himself in a very interesting spot. His pairing in the backcourt with Murray seems, on paper, that it could be one of the most potent second unit backcourts in the NBA. For that to happen Murray and Barton need to learn to play in unison. As of right now, Barton acts as the de-facto point guard a lot of the time they share the floor and it can lead to Murray being frozen out of the offense. Barton needs to find a way to involve himself within the Nuggets offensive system and not attempt to be the motor of the offense himself. That being said, Barton is one of the better bench volume scorers in the game and his ability to add seven assists to the tally, as he did against the Lakers, is invaluable.

Jameer Nelson: B

Nelson got his first playing time of the year against the Lakers after spraining his big toe in the first practice of training camp. Nothing Nelson did really jumped off the screen but what is important to look at is his assist to turnover ratio compared to the other points guards; Murray had two assists to four turnovers, Mudiay had six assists to five turnovers, and Nelson had six assists to one turnover, in less playing time nonetheless. Considering that neither Mudiay nor Murray has separated themselves in the race for the starting point guard role it would not be surprising to see the steady hand of Nelson take the reigns on opening night. It was a good first showing for Nelson.

Malik Beasley: C

Beasley found himself playing 18 minutes against the Lakers and had flashes of what makes him such a tantalizing prospect. His combination of length, shooting, athletic ability, and motor is rare and very useful in the new age of the NBA. Beasley hit a three, showed off his ability to get to the rim, and rebounded well with four boards while also playing aggressive and intense defensively.

Torrey Craig: B

When Arturas Karnisovas, Nuggets general manager, was being interviewed on the Altitude broadcast he let loose a little tidbit of information. He said that Torrey Craig is the best defender on the team. Yes, Craig only logged eight minutes versus the Lakers. Yes, Craig is signed to a two-way contract. Still, I believe Karnisovas after watching Craig throughout summer league and preseason. He could very well find himself playing with the Nuggets more than the 45-days he is allowed by his two-way contract.

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