The ball popped, the shots fell, and the Denver Nuggets rolled. At long last, we saw the Nuggets put on a performance that’s better suited for the offensive identity and acumen we’ve bestowed on this group. Denver rocked the Miami Heat, who had the best net rating in the NBA coming into the game, recording 35 assists in the 109-89 victory.

Will Barton returned with a bang, Jamal Murray guided the ship, and the second unit awoke from their coma in the Nuggets’ most complete game of the season. Let’s hand out some report cards.

Honor Roll

Jamal Murray – A-

In the early stages of Murray’s career, his contributions to a win were mostly limited to his ability to put the ball through the hoop. In the early stages of this season, Murray has elevated his baseline by shoring up the rest of his game and showing a newfound commitment on the defensive end. Murray’s box score was solid on Tuesday night—21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, five rebounds, and four assists. But it doesn’t reflect what’s been the difference in his play to start the season–there’s a poise, a calmness, and a consistency through seven games that’s worth noting. He’s played as large a role in this 5-2 start as anyone.

Will Barton – A-

Is it too early for team “Will Barton is a good basketball player” to take a victory lap? It’s possible, but I’m already halfway through mine. Despite a somewhat bewildering reputation as a one-on-one player, Barton has slid into this starting lineup in the way the Nuggets’ brass envisioned before the core injury last season. Barton’s commitment to rebounding—he grabbed ten rebounds in the win on Tuesday night, and trails just Nikola Jokic in rebounds per game this season—and defense, where his high-effort is mitigating his deficiencies, have stood out from the jump this season. He’s shooting the ball with confidence, and he leads the team in free throw attempts per game as well.

‘Thrill’ put up 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, on his way to a game high +23 in his return to the starting lineup.

The Class

Paul Millsap – B

In classic Paul Millsap fashion, the box score fails to reflect his value in a win. He was excellent in the first quarter and played a large role in the starters’ best start to a game all season.

Millsap only logged 16 minutes, as he left the game after a collision opened up a nasty cut on his head. He did not go through concussion protocol, Malone said after the game. But he did post this gnarly selfie.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4gwbZGgSn1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Monte Morris – B+

Listening to the song while reading this paragraph is optional, but also highly encouraged. Morris played his best game of the season in the win over Miami, posting 11 points and eight assists.

The early shooting woes this season were perhaps to be expected. Morris shot the ball at an exceptional clip last season, and what goes up most come down, and so on. But his start to this campaign has lacked the defining qualities of his game. Morris is a point guard in the truest sense of the term, surprisingly though, he’s looked somewhat disjointed in his limited time on the court. He returned to his canny form on Tuesday night, helping to jump start a second unit that was on life support and boosting that treasured assist-to-turnover ratio.

Jerami Grant – B

Speaking of the second unit, Jerami Grant rebounded with a strong performance. He logged 29 minutes, closing the game in place of the bleeding Paul Millsap, and scored 15 points, while picking up five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Grant played in a wide variety of lineups, and his versatility was on full display. He wreaked havoc defensively, kept the defense honest with six three-point attempts, knocking down two, and punished an overzealous closeout by attacking the rim and finishing with a monster reverse jam through contact. Grant is making a run at Beasley for most exciting athlete on the team.

Principal’s Office

Gary Harris – C- 

It’s not fair to kick a guy while he’s down, but Harris didn’t look right long before he landed awkwardly on his ankle, ultimately leaving the game. His signature reverses and surprising one-handed jams have been supplanted by timid floaters. His wide-open threes are—well, wide. His feel for the pick-and-roll seems to be slipping through the cracks of his fingers. The good news is his defensive prowess has been on full display to start the season, and a player of his caliber deserves more time before any conclusions are drawn. But it’s been a rough start to the season for the third leg of Denver’s young trio, and now he could miss some time with an ankle injury.

Game Ball