The Denver Nuggets tipped off against the Brooklyn Nets on national television Friday night with one of the league’s most stout defenses through 10 games, but a corpse of an offensive identity. The vast majority of pre and post-game scrums this season have consisted of questions about the latter, and what it’s going to take to get it back on track—much to the chagrin of a defense-first basketball mind in Michael Malone. After twelve minutes of play, however, the focus shifted firmly to the defensive end of the court, where the Nuggets looked helpless.

The Nets dropped 38 points on 58% shooting in the first quarter thanks to a breach of interior defense and subsequent bloodbath not seen since the Orcs took Helm’s Deep. It seemed unimaginable at that moment that Denver would hold Brooklyn under 100 points, but they put the clamps down in the second half with an extraordinary effort. Denver held Brooklyn to just 18 points in the third quarter, and 14 in the fourth. The Nets were 11-for-48 from the floor and o-for-17 from deep in the final 24 minutes.

The aforementioned discussions of lineup changes came to fruition–while Michael Porter Jr. played less than four minutes, Juancho Hernangomez saw his first competitive minutes of the season. Juancho didn’t much much of a measurable impact in the game, but he injected life and energy into a second unit that put forth their best performance of the season and saved the starters’ skin.

Let’s hand out some report cards.

Honor Roll

Will Barton III – A-

Will Barton III was as good as anyone in a Denver Nuggets uniform on Friday, but particularly in the second half as the Nuggets looked to gain firm control of a game that was tilting in their favor. Barton III led all Nuggets in the final 24 minutes with 11 points—nine of them coming in the fourth. He also recorded four assists without turning the ball over once in a team-high 37:58 played. Barton III has had as much asked of him as anyone through these first 11 games.

He has delivered.

Paul Millsap – A-

After the game, Juancho Hernangomez told reporters with no uncertainty that Barton III and Paul Millsap have been the team’s best players to start the season. He’s right. Millsap’s scoring has come in efficient bursts and Denver looked to him early and often in the first half. In just 13:57 on the court, Millsap tied Jokić for a team-high 12 first-half points, hitting five of his nine shots. He corralled nine rebounds on the night, including a team-high five on the offensive end, and was the best defender on the court to boot.

Since Millsap’s arrival in Denver, a lazy narrative regarding his contract has flapped annoyingly in the wind. To justify $30 Million, they say, then he must provide more value than veteran presence and defensive acumen–he needs to be the best player on the court.

Well, at times this season, he’s been just that. That was the case for large stretches of this game.

The Class

Monte Morris – B+

In the absence of Malik Beasley, Monte Morris has seen more time on the court and more time with some of the starting unit. To perhaps no one’s surprise, Morris has looked much closer to his usual self over that duration. In 19 minutes on the court, Morris recorded 10 points and seven assists without turning the ball over once on Friday night. He brought welcome stability to the offense in the second half, and a small part of me grew worried when he was subbed out for the final minutes of the game.

Mason Plumlee – B

Plumlee hit five of his ten shots in 19 minutes on the court, and I’m convinced all five of his misses were ill-advised floater–oh, that’s right, there was also the ill-advised jump shot. Fortunately, virtually every other decision Plumlee made in this game was the right one as he finished with 10 points and seven rebounds on his way to a team-high +10.

With regards to effort, a trait that defines Plumlee as aptly as any, the juxtaposition between him and his partner at the center position is stark. He’s playing his tail off.

Nikola Jokić – B

Nikola Jokić only shot the ball 14 times in this game, but he found the bottom of the net eight times, including two of his five three-point attempts. He was hardly aggressive, but we saw flashes of the determination and skill in the post that made him virtually unguardable in years past. It was a stronger night for Jokić on the glass as well, where he’s failed to showcase his elite ability to start the year. He grabbed 10 rebounds, added three assists and didn’t turn the ball over in his 28 minutes on the court. Outside of the second quarter, when Jokić scored nine points by hitting four of his five field-goal attempts, ‘Joker’ was far from Denver’s best player in the win. But they didn’t need him to be.

Jerami Grant – B 

Grant finished the game with 12 points, six rebounds, and a near banishment to the shadow realm of Joe Harris. He was great in his 21 minutes, but I want to save some room for Juancho, so I’ll just leave you with the Harris baptism that wasn’t.

https://streamable.com/yglhx

This dude has the loudest misses.

Juancho Hernangomez – B

The fact is that Juancho only scored two points in his 19 minutes on the court, but the prevailing narrative, and with good reason, is that Juancho was the shot of life this second unit has been waiting for all season. His presence on the court alone seemed to energize his teammates and he was on the court for Denver’s best stretch of basketball all night.

Ask anyone in that locker room who their best teammate is–the response will be unanimous. Juancho is beloved. No one in Denver doesn’t enjoy his success.

The world champion recorded eight rebounds in his 19 minutes. He finished the game as a +6.

We’ve wondered all season what it would take to make Nuggets basketball fun again—perhaps the answer is more Juancho.

Principal’s Office

Jamal Murray – D+

In 28 minutes on the court, Jamal Murray scored just four points and hit only one of his eleven shot attempts. In Murray’s defense, it seems as though he’s been playing injured since the first half of that game in Minnesota, but this was his worst game of the season and he failed to make any impact at all offensively.

Game Ball