It’s the season of Nikola Jokić. The NBA’s inevitable MVP is the bell of the ball these days and the center of attention in Wednesday night’s blowout of the Knicks. Jokić ended this game in his first stint, doubling up the Knicks by himself with 24 points in the first frame. He didn’t “effectively” end the game. He erased all doubt and extinguished any hope. Austin Rivers found a rhythm against his former team, and Facundo Campazzo played another tremendous game as the Nuggets rolled through their fellow four seed.
Let’s go to the grades:
Nikola Jokić – A+
It’s laughable now to reflect on the main criticisms of Jokić on the court — mainly that he wasn’t a willing or capable scorer at the Superstar level. He sure looked willing against the Knicks in Ball Arena. This shift in approach and boost in scoring is the linchpin in his MVP season, and he let that flag fly freely.
Jokić scored 24 points in the first 12 minutes of the game — 12 more points than the Knicks scored as a team. Jokić shot 8/9 from the floor during that span, grabbed 6 rebounds, recorded 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. If it’s dominance you want — in the undefined, sloppily framed fashion propagandized by the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Brain Windhorst — then there you have it. He looked truly unstoppable, and the rest of the game felt like a formality. He even dunked the ball four times in those 12 minutes, a career-high in any game, let alone quarter.
How good is Jokić? Allow yourself to get carried away. He’s shattered every ceiling and expectation to date. He’s redefining basketball greatness and pushing our understanding of what it looks like to the limit. As long as he’s in Denver, this fan base swaps out a tortured history for an enormous privilege. Suddenly, you all are the lucky few. Soak it in.
Michael Porter Jr. – B+
Porter faded into the background of this game, which got a laugh out of me when I checked the final box score. He turned in 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on 58% shooting and 50% from 3.
I always assumed Porter a boom or bust kind of player. With his talent and glaring deficiencies, it once seemed farfetched to imagine these types of games. Porter is remarkably consistent for a player of his age with his history. He’s capable now of quiet yet quality minutes.
Porter started this game at shooting guard, by the way, but those minutes hardly comprise valuable data. RJ Barrett found himself in early foul trouble, and Jokić put the game to rest early. Not much changed for Porter on offense in his new position.
Aaron Gordon – C+
Gordon missed all six of his shots and went scoreless in 22 minutes. Scoreless is tenable if he caps his shot attempts, which he did again against the Knicks. Gordon was brought here as a defensive specialist who can help on the glass and add tertiary playmaking skills. He’s not here to buoy a broken roster offensively. The offensive deficiencies will rear their heads in the postseason, but so should his strengths on the other end. He’ll look at his best when doing what no one else on this roster can — guarding superstars.
Facundo Campazzo – A-
Campazzo scored 16 points, grabbed 9 (!!!) rebounds, dished out 4 assists, recorded 5 steals and 2 blocks.
What’s more impressive — the nine rebounds, two blocks, or five steals in consecutive games? He’s the first Nugget to do the latter since Fat Lever, per StatMuse.
Facundo Campazzo is the first Nuggets player with 5+ steals in back-to-back games since Fat Lever in 1989. pic.twitter.com/YAEGmhjdqx
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 6, 2021
Austin Rivers – A
The New York Knicks traded Austin Rivers to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who promptly let him go. The Thunder aren’t a serious organization, and their decisions don’t warrant earnest evaluation. The Knicks, however, are a playoff team — one that apparently had no use for Rivers. The Nuggets found him useful Wednesday night.
Rivers got his old team back and showed appreciation for his new digs with 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 7/13 from the field and 6/9 from deep. It was an excellent performance, one he hopes won’t be the last, as he told the media after the game. But he won’t force the issue. Rivers knows what’s happening around him and why he’s in Denver:
Incredible perspective from Austin Rivers: "I was that guy in high school. I wanted to be an All-Star. I still feel like I'm good enough to be that, but that's not my role here…We've got an MVP here. So you support that guy. We've got Michael here, so you support that guy." pic.twitter.com/vUrtlQdOLL
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) May 6, 2021
Shaq Harrison – B-
Ignore Harrison’s box score. He made a significant impact. If the Knicks had one more push in them, he snuffed it out with some breathtaking defense. He’s so fun to watch on that end, each steal feeling like a bucket itself.
JaMychal Green – C-
We’re still waiting for Green to get back on track. I think he has it in him. He should be a quality rotation player. They’ll need more from him in the postseason.
JaVale McGee – C+
McGee is an agent of chaos. He grabbed nine rebounds and blocked a shot, but he shot 1/4 from the floor and fouled out as well.
The Clean-Up Crew – Played
They touched the floor, but it didn’t go well from there. The Best Show in Garbage Time isn’t very fun to watch right now.
