Nikola Jokić – A+
Jokić rose to the occasion. He went right at Karl Anthony Towns in the opening possession, then weathered an early storm as KAT couldn’t miss. Neither center could, and thankfully, Jokić was able to get Towns in some foul trouble. That kept Denver alive despite a near-perfect opening quarter from the Wolves on offense. Though Towns was someone limited by foul trouble, the two bigs dominated the game and put on a show. Jokić dropped 38 points on 21 shots, grabbed 19 rebounds (5 OREB), and dished out 8 assists. He was an absolute workhorse down low, hitting all 14 of his field goals in the paint and inhaling rebounds. The only problem was that he couldn’t rest. When he sat, the Nuggets bled points, and he couldn’t sit for long as DeMarcus Cousins managed to get into foul trouble despite just 4:38 on the floor. That took a toll, and Jokić settled in the fourth quarter, hoisting two threes in big moments when he had been virtually unstoppable down low. He also turned it over three times in that final stint.
Aaron Gordon – A-
Gordon played a spectacular game on one end of the floor. The Wolves play with such ferocity, and AG is the only athlete on Denver’s roster well suited for such a physical, athletic matchup. He was excellent in the right ways, attacking the rim relentlessly and throwing down some monster dunks. He couldn’t bring that same edge on defense, but few in this game could.
Will Barton – F
Barton looks in his head. He seems lacking in confidence and disconnected from the group. He’s navigating a brutal slump and declining physical ability, and it’s hard to watch at its worst. It was at its worst against the Wolves. After shooting 0-6 in the first half, Barton nearly got himself going in the third. He converted an And-One opportunity and moments later found another lane. He rose for a confidence-boosting jam but threw it hard off the back of the rim. It was just that kind of night for him offensively. The biggest problem lies in what little he offers defensively right now. It’s next to nothing, and he must be a more potent weapon to make that tenable. It wasn’t in the biggest game of the year.
Jeff Green – C-
Green ultimately left the game early due to undivulged personal reasons. He did enough offensively in the minutes he played, going 3-3 from the field and recording four assists. But you know what comes with the dunk package at this point—a frustrating lack of effort on the glass and defense.
Monte Morris – B+
Morris almost pulled Denver back into it with some late-game heroics beyond the arc. He played an extremely efficient game, posting 23 points on 8 of 12 shooting and dishing out six assists. Morris is to be trusted in these games but won’t get on the honor roll here as he’s part of the problem defensively. Denver’s perimeter defense is woeful—whether Morris, Barton, Gordon, Bones Hyland, or Davon Reed was on-ball, the Wolves had it all too easy.
Bones Hyland – C-
Hyland is a gamer. He’s ready to compete in every big moment, and he did a lot well against the Wolves. Unfortunately, the rook picked the wrong time to go ice cold. He shot 3 of 14 from the field. Plenty of those were good looks, and with how he’s played lately, it’s hard to criticize any given decision to pull the trigger. But we can only defend 3 of 14 so much. He did close the game with no Jeff Green available.
Boogie Cousins – F
As bad as Barton was, Cousins managed to inflict the most damage in far less time. He picked up four personal fouls and a technical foul in his first two minutes on the floor. In just 4:38 total, Cousins recorded five personal fouls, turned it over four times, and posted a -10. He’d have done less harm had he just stood at half-court checking his phone.
Austin Rivers – D+
Rivers is the only guy capable of staying in front of his man right now. But he couldn’t knock down a shot and didn’t earn the opportunity to close—or at least, Malone opted not to utilize him. I still think the Nuggets should close with Rivers more often, whether filling in for Jeff or perhaps saving Barton from himself when he’s playing so poorly.
Davon Reed – D+
Once viewed as a lockdown defender, Reed’s now getting blown by when guarding Patrick Beverly one on one. I feel for Reed, who did much well yet couldn’t find a place in the rotation anyway. But all the same, perhaps we’re learning more about the patchy start to his career. He’s got his flaws, and he struggled Friday night.
JaMychal Green – B-
Green returned and looked pretty good. The bench was abysmal, thanks to Boogie mostly, but Green played hard and played smartly in the dunker spot. They could have used a little more from him on the glass, but he’s far from the culprit after a disappointing loss.
