Nikol—er, DeMarcus Cousins – A+
Late in the afternoon, hours before tip-off, Michael Malone learned Nikola Jokić might not play against the Houston Rockets with a non-Covid related illness. He and the staff thought long and hard about breaking up a bench unit that’s on a roll, but they settled on Cousins, a proven big at the NBA level. Boogie rewarded them with his first 30-point game since 2018. He scored 31 points, to be exact, along with nine rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. “I love DeMarcus Cousins,” Malone gushed after the game. “I’m just so happy for him.”
Cousins resisted the urge to call himself a Denver Nugget when prompted. He knows the business too well by now to expect loyalty on a short-term deal. Still, he did call the start a rewarding experience, especially alongside a coach and teammates that believe in him. “That’s all I’ve been looking for on this journey,” Cousins said.
“There’s no replacing Nikola Jokić,” Malone joked during his presser. “But DeMarcus Cousins is pretty damn good.”
Will Barton – Record Holder
“Thank heavens,” Will Barton said with a smile as he approached the podium. He had missed 19 consecutive three-point shots after drawing within one of the record. It was taking a toll on him and those watching him, and he could only laugh as he described open shots rimming in and out. In the end, Barton knocked one down and told himself, “let’s just get this next one out of the way.” He buried his next look, passing JR Smith for the most three-point makes by any Denver Nugget.
The era has changed, and 3s are prevalent, and Jamal Murray is hot on his tail, but none of that prevented Thrill from soaking it in. He reflected on being selected 40th overall due, in part, to his inability to shoot the ball. Barton thought back on the hours in the gym, the countless repetitions, and admitted how much this meant to him. “I want Jamal to break it,” he said after the game. And we all know that’s inevitable. But for now, seeing his name atop a leaderboard leaves a kid from Baltimore in a state of gratitude. “What a blessing,” Barton said with a smile.
Will Barton, a second-round pick who couldn’t shoot, now holds a little piece of Nuggets history.
Jeff Green – B
Jeff Green grabbed four rebounds, and he gets graded on the Jerami Grant curve for rebounding. That might as well be 15 rebounds—way to get after it, Jeff! He dropped 14 points as well.
Aaron Gordon – C+
Gordon was decent but not great in each stint, which probably felt worse than it was—at least to me—due to the starters struggling lately. While I chose to highlight Barton’s accomplishment, he played poorly for much of the game. And we’ll get to Morris in a second. But Gordon’s play was tenable, and they’ve got something to build off after a vibey night in Ball Arena.
Monte Morris – B-
Morris was a non-factor in the first half, as was Barton, while Gordon was quiet. Morris went 0-4 and logged one rebound to go with one assist before halftime. Cousins carried them, but Morris clawed his way back to form in the second half. Then, he shot 4 of 4, grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists, stole the ball, and did not turn it over. It was a tale of two halves for The Mayor. He turned in a decent performance when it was all said and done.
JaMychal Green – B+
The bench dealt with a shakeup, but Green continued his steady play. Thanks to a good night on the offensive glass, he nearly recorded a double-double, and his defense was good again. Green’s been a force on one end and a disrupter on the other against some poor bench units. He’s stringing quality performances together right now.
Bones Hyland – B-
Bones shot 2 of 7 from the floor, which is typically an indicator that he struggled, but he went to work in other areas. He finished with five assists and three steals. Both of those makes were catch-and-shoot 3s courtesy of the vet who usually backs him up but shared the floor against Houston.
Facundo Campazzo – B-
In honor of The Batman, I’ve composed a riddle.
Who stands not far from the ground yet soars high above the lowly Rockets? Facundo Campazzo loves this matchup, and while he didn’t score, he recorded four assists and was an absolute menace on defense. He helped a patchwork bench lineup play well.
Bryn Forbes and Davon Reed also played with the second unit and performed satisfactorily. After the game, Malone shouted the entire second unit out for keeping it rolling despite the shakeup.
That’s it for me, folks. I’m symptom-free and headed to the beach. Make sure you check out Harrison Wind’s exclusive interview and the accompanying piece on Will Barton.
