Nikola Jokić – A+
Jokić took just one shot outside the paint in Friday night’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers. It was a stepback 25-footer from the right wing, and it was good before it left his hands. He did the rest of his work inside, scoring 27 points on 16 shots and only four free throws. He also pulled down an outrageous 22 rebounds, including seven on offense. It reads like a hard hat, lunch pail effort from a blue-collar big. But in truth, it was virtually effortless. Jokić was in complete control, manipulating the entire court with each pivot, and turning of his head. If he wasn’t scoring at will, he was passing guys open, and if they couldn’t finish the job, he cleaned up their mess at the rim.
Despite the obscene production, Jokić looked to be in low gear on offense. That’s all the Nuggets needed, and he was expending most of his energy on the other end. Jokić finished with two blocks and a steal, wreaking havoc when playing up in the pick and roll. After the game, Michael Malone reiterated that Jokić is a disruptive defender in those situations. It was a complete effort from the big fella.
Jamal Murray – C-
Murray finished with a Sombor Double in the win. He crashed the glass, set the table with 10 assists, and made a couple of clutch plays on defense. He could not, however, buy a bucket against the Blazers. And he sure did try. Murray led all Nuggets with 21 shots. He connected on just five. It was a brutal shooting performance from Jokić’s co-star, who once again, was not named an All-Star. Fortunately, Murray’s learned how to salvage poor shooting performances over the years. He kept competing and left with something.
Michael Porter Jr. – D+
Porter also struggled from the field despite knocking down a couple of early threes. He shot 5/14 in roughly 35 minutes. Unlike Murray, he wasn’t able to find other ways to produce this time. MPJ is the only Nugget to start in every game this season. Playing as much as possible is a stated goal this season. That’s an admirable aspiration, but it might not be the wisest course. Porter looks like he needs a game or two off. Perhaps the All-Star break can help him reset.
Aaron Gordon – B+
While Murray and Porter navigate a slump, Gordon’s hitting another gear. He turned in another strong performance alongside Jokić, picking up the slack for the two max players. Gordon knocked down his one attempted 3, shot 3/3 from the FT line, and drained a clutch step-back jumper in the corner. It was a welcome sight — Gordon’s touch has been MIA for most of the season. He finished with 18 points on 7/9 shooting, with 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – B+
Pope took home another DPOG chain after shadowing Anfernee Simons. Simons is a gunner, and the Nuggets were prepared. Pope and company held the microwave scorer to just 1/7 shooting in the first half. Things changed when the teams retook the court. Simons caught fire, pouring in 26 points on 16 shots. He was Portland’s best hope down the stretch. Until KCP decided he’d had enough.
Peyton Watson – A-
Watson shined off the bench. He scored 14 points on 6/8 shooting, including 2/2 from deep. He registered another block as well. His big task now is limiting the personal fouls—he finished with four in roughly 22 minutes against the Blazers. Tenacious defense can lead to foul trouble, especially for younger players still earning a reputation in the league. That’s something to watch as we move closer to the playoffs. Denver needs him on the floor.
Reggie Jackson – C+
We know what we’re getting from Jackson these days. He’s going to get some shots up. Denver needs the scoring juice off the bench. But there will always be the question of whether his scoring outweighs his defense, particularly when alongside Murray. Jackson scored 13 points in the win.
Christian Braun – C–
After back-to-back encouraging performances, Malone hit Braun with the Vaudeville Hook Friday night. CB logged roughly 8 minutes before Malone yanked him from the rotation.
Justin Holiday – D
The quick hook for Braun gave Justin Holliday an opportunity. He didn’t do much with it. Holiday went scoreless in about 11 minutes of playing time. He did record one assist and steal.
DeAndre Jordan – F
DAJ logged 4:36 of playing time. The Nuggets lost those minutes by 10 points. Aaron Gordon took his place in the second half.
