Nuggets-Jazz Grades: A night to forget

In a crazy night for seeding in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets didn’t show up against the Utah Jazz in an uninspiring 118-108  road loss.

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 (D) 40.37 — This was easily Jokic’s worst game of the season. His only other performance that came close was Nov. 7 in Memphis, where he finished with four points in 25 minutes for a 46.55 DPR. Jokic just wasn’t himself, scoring two points on 16% shooting from the field in just 16 minutes of play. He dealt with foul trouble for the entire game. His minus-15 in almost as many minutes says it all.

Jamal Murray (C+) 62.26 — Yes, Murray scored 22 points in 31 minutes, but his shooting percentages (50 eFG%) and an ugly 86 ORtg took quite a bit of the shine off of his 28th game this season with 20 points or more. Murray only dished out one assist and turned the ball over twice. While he did have one steal, his 121 DRtg hurt his grade too in a game where no Nugget played stellar defense.

Paul Millsap (D) 41.53 — Millsap didn’t fare all that well in this one either, as the veteran forward only managed five points in 22 minutes on some awful percentages. Millsap’s lack of rebounding and a lowly 65 ORtg and an even worse 121 DRtg summed up his night pretty well.

Gary Harris (C-) 52.32 — Harris was far from Denver’s problem in Utah, scoring 15 points on 50 eFG%. Without a single rebound, and only one steal and two assists, Harris didn’t have the type of impact that his USG% (31) would suggest with a 122 DRtg and a minus-12 plus-minus.

Will Barton (F) 28.01 — Barton didn’t show up in this one, plain and simple. In fact, he had his worst game of the season, per DPR, as he scored zero points in 21 minutes on a minus-15 night. No amount of advanced stats are necessary to justify the grade here, as Barton was simply a shell of himself, a significant issue with the Nuggets’ postseason around the corner.

Mason Plumlee (C+) 61.20 — With none of Denver’s starters playing well, Plumlee and the bench weren’t as bad. Plumlee fell just two rebounds and two assists short of a triple-double in 34 minutes. He’s the first Denver player here to actually score a better ORtg (121) than DRtg (116).

Monte Morris (B) 73.91 — Scoring a season-high 22 points, Morris had his 15th game over a 70 DPR. He also added four assists, a steal, and three rebounds in the process. Morris was assertive in this one, recording an impressive 74 TS% and posting a 151 ORtg. Like the rest of the Nuggets, his high 122 DRtg didn’t do him any favors.

Torrey Craig (D+) 49.81 — This wasn’t exactly Craig’s night, as he only scored three points in 21 minutes with two boards and two assists. His plus-12 did lead the team, but his 125 DRtg wasn’t up to his usual standards.

Malik Beasley (B) 73.01 — This was Beasly’s eighth best game of the year, as he led all scorers with 25 points and registered an absurd 87 eFG%. His 147 ORtg was also impressive in a very encouraging performance for Denver’s young wing. He didn’t add much else to his game beyond scoring, as he only accounted for two steals, one assist, and one block in 31 minutes.

Juancho Hernangomez (D) 43.75 — Hernangomez played 10 minutes and had little to show for it as he didn’t score a single point while adding just two rebounds and two assists. He did manage to post a plus-6 on the night and an insane 229 ORtg which helped him avoid another F.