The Denver Nuggets Are Playing With Joy Again

Nikola Jokić – A+

Nikola Jokić couldn’t hit every shot he took for the second straight night. Disappointingly, he settled for 70% from the field in Portland. Jokić dominated DeAndre Ayton and company, finishing with 29 points, 15 rebounds, 14 assists, two steals, one block, and only two turnovers. He finished +24 on the night. It was a masterpiece.

Jokić is turning up the heat out of the all-star break. He’s not just dominating but playing with sauce. His playmaking is on another level right now. He’s on an outrageous run of spectacular passes to his favorite target, Aaron Gordon. It’s like Patrick Mahomes feeding Travis Kelce, except Denver loves this version.

The tattered and generally underwhelming Blazers aren’t the most cohesive team defensively. You can’t tip off against Jokić without an airtight game plan. It’s too easy for him against undisciplined teams like Washington and Portland.

Michael Porter Jr. – A+

Jamal Murray missed his birthday game as he manages shin splints. That meant it was time for MPJ to step into the second option role on offense. That’s been better in theory than practice to this point in the season. But Porter is rested after the break and played well against the Wizards. He had some momentum and took advantage of the opportunity. Porter finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and zero turnovers in Portland. He shot 13/21 from the field, 5/10 from deep, and 3/3 from the free throw line. It was one of the best games of his career.

Porter’s contributions typically come in the form of cluster scoring. And while he’s found myriad ways to be productive this season, he’s rarely put it all together. He bucked the trend against the Blazers. He turned in another exceptional first quarter, but this time he stayed involved. Denver rode his hot hand for most of the night. He also utilized the full arsenal — he drained open 3s, heavily contested 3s, a tough mid-ranger, cleaned up on the glass, and even sealed off a smaller defender for a catch and finish at the rim.

The schedule makers gave Denver a gift out of the break. Two subpar opponents allowed the defending champs to hit the ground running. They’re playing sharply and with joy again. The Blazers never stood a chance.

Aaron Gordon – C+

With Denver’s top options dominating, AG cruised. He finished with seven assists and shot 4/5 from the floor. He did miss two free throws, took one of the worst threes I’ve seen all season, and turned it over three times. But he produced more than he hurt. The Nuggets were in complete control.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – B

Pope appeared on the injury report with a sprained right pinky, yet played anyway. Let’s start there. Pope’s professionalism throughout the regular season should be celebrated. If these 82 games don’t matter, this vet never got the memo. Pope loves to play and only ever plays hard. That popped on the defensive end in Portland, where he again pestered Anfernee Simons. Admittedly, KCP isn’t shooting at the level he did last season, but he’s found another gear defensively. It’s a treat to watch him work.

Reggie Jackson – C-

The Nuggets won by 15, and Reggie Jackson started alongside Jokić and MPJ. Somehow, he managed to finish -1 in roughly 22 minutes. Jackson’s consistency was the pleasant surprise of the early season. But he’s since reverted to the kind of player that his career-long reputation suggests — he does over-dribble, and his tough shotmaking ability stems from his propensity for tough shot-taking. The latter is difficult to watch when they aren’t falling, especially alongside such capable teammates.

Collin Gillespie – A+

This brings us to Collin Gillespie, who clings to Jokić on the floor like a son to his father. If that reads like a stinging backhanded compliment, I should clarify that it’s the right approach for him. It can all be easy with 15 out there. It should all be easy. Few on the roster understand that better than Steady Gillespie.

Gillespie worked off Jokić’s intense gravity and preternatural IQ. He sprung open for four threes and drained all of them. He used the threat of Jokić on the roll to finish at the rim. He shot 7/9 from the floor for 18 points off the bench. Gillespie is an exceptional point guard. He proved that in college. But producing at this level, at his size, is a monumental challenge. He deserves a lot of credit for figuring it out in Portland: play off of Jokić, and don’t botch the open jumpers. He also finished with four assists and zero turnovers.

Peyton Watson – B-

Watson wasn’t the star off the bench but quietly did his thing. He finished with eight points, four rebounds, and another block.

Christian Braun – C

Braun shot 1/5 and turned it over twice, including a brutal one on a fast break. The second unit leaves 2-4 points on the table every night in the form of Braun and Watson failing to find each other. They’re determined to score on the break and seemingly afraid of turning it over. You could see the gears turning while CB botched the numbers advantage. He did finish with four assists, and Denver did fine with him on the floor.

Zeke Nnaji – B-

We can count this as the third straight game that Nnaji’s brought something off the bench. He finished with two offensive rebounds and six points. His highlight was an impressive offensive rebound followed by an authoritative dunk. Nnaji is a different player when he plays that way around the rim. Ditch the soft finishes. Keep dunking it!