Nuggets-Spurs Game 1 Grades: Denver’s two-guard provides a silver lining in loss

In Game 1 of their first-round series, the Nuggets fell to the Spurs 101-96, but Denver had plenty of chances to come away with the home win.

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 (B-) 69.46 — In his first playoff appearance, Jokic had himself a triple-double, getting to double-digit assists and rebounds very early on in the contest.  Jokic was especially strong distributing and getting the ball out quick to open shooters as soon as the Spurs brought double teams his way. He could have had more than 14 assists had the Nuggets not shot an awful 6-28 from beyond the arc. He also had a nice impact on the glass, played hard-nosed defense on LaMarcus Aldridge and recorded a 106 DRtg.

It was his scoring that was lacking, as Jokic only took nine shots and only registered a 44 eFG%. His 15.7 USG% was also extremely low compared to his season average of 27.4. What killed Jokic most of all was his 3-point shot. He went 0-3 from beyond the arc and none of his attempts were particularly close.

Scout’s Grade (A-) — Maybe Jokic could have attempted a few more shots, but he took what the defense gave him and found wide open shooters all night long. It wasn’t his fault that those 3s didn’t drop. He looked for his shot in the first quarter and had a couple of buckets through traffic down the stretch. If Jokic can attack the defense a little quicker before the double-team arrives, he could see his point total climb in Game 2. Denver will need it if those 3s continue to miss.

Jamal Murray (C+) 60.54 — Murray’s shot wasn’t falling from long distance but he did a good job of finding his spots from mid-range and had an impact as a scorer. He still managed to post 17 points despite a pretty poor 33 eFG% and 71 ORtg. He fought hard and even made some tough shots under the hoop. Beyond his scoring, Murray’s lack of assists was troubling as he racked up two turnovers but he did produce six steals. Murray’s big miss on a pull-up mid-range jumper in the final minutes ended Denver’s night, as did a crucial turnover on the Nuggets’ final possession. He didn’t close the game out the way he would’ve liked and wasn’t sharp shooting it from deep, but after getting the playoff jitters out the way we should see some significant improvements from him as the series progresses.

Paul Millsap (C-) 52.21 — Millsap asserted himself in brief stretches and ultimately scored 12 points on a 50 eFG%. With Jokic and Murray struggling, it just wasn’t enough as he only grabbed four rebounds and produced an awful 115 DRtg for his standards.

Gary Harris (B-) 65.52 — Harris finally looked like his old self again, staying aggressive on offense and getting to the hoop at will, even nailing some crucial triples when Denver needed it most in the second half. He finished the game with 20 points on a 62 eFG% and a 147 ORtg, all very encouraging signs from Denver’s two-guard. Tasked with guarding DeMar DeRozan, he did a serviceable job although his 114 DRtg was far from spectacular.

Scout’s Grade (A) — Harris was arguably Denver’s best player Saturday. Along with Will Barton, he helped lock down DeMar DeRozan and was one Nuggets player who looked comfortable attacking the rim. This was a great performance from Harris on both ends.

Will Barton (C+) 64.39 — Barton too seemed to have turned back the clock, looking like himself again and getting going early on as he scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He was key defensively on DeRozan and produced some vital stops when Denver needed it most and registered two blocks in the process. His 107 DRtg was fine, but a 101 ORtg hurt him as his Net Rating fell in the negatives.

Mason Plumlee (C-) 51.63 — Plumlee was a minus-7 on the night as he didn’t add much value in 17 minutes, scoring only four points and grabbing six boards, with three assists. He did have a positive net rating (6.0) but had a limited impact overall.

Monte Morris (D) 42.10 — It was a playoff debut to forget for Morris, who only scored two points in 23 minutes on some awful shooting percentages. He ended the game with a -minus-11, the worst on the team. Morris managed to salvage his grade with five assists and zero turnovers but he had little impact defensively and ended the game with an abysmal 74 ORtg.

Torrey Craig (C) 56.13 — Craig was crucial as he was the only Nugget who managed to nail shots from long range and did so when they needed it most, ending his evening with six points and four rebounds in just 11 minutes. He fought hard defensively but his 110 DRtg was a bit higher than where he’d like it to be.

Malik Beasley (C) 58.01 — Beasley stayed aggressive and was jumping out the gym on his way to 10 points in 15 minutes. He also posted a strong 70 eFG%. Beasley brought down three rebounds and had the best plus-minus of anyone coming off the bench.