The Denver Nuggets Get Their First Road Win of the Season

Nikola Jokić – C

After a brief roar of fury on ring night, Jokić is settling back into his October hibernation. He sleepwalked through Game 2 in Memphis. We grade Jokić against himself, not the rest. He did post 22-12-7 with a clutch three and a jaw-dropping highlight to boot:

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But Jokić posted nine turnovers against a decimated Memphis roster. He lost focus — confusing his opponents with the referees and engaging in verbal jousting rather than the competition. Jokić has recorded nine or more turnovers six times in his career, per StatMuse. The last time he did so while posting fewer assists was over three years ago against the Warriors. Thankfully, he woke up just in time to prevent an early loss.

Jamal Murray – B-

Murray had no problem with Marcus Smart and the Grizzlies in the first half. He scored 16 points on 50-40-90 from the field. He was a game-high +12 as the two teams headed to the locker room. Part of that was another successful stint with the second unit. They all cooled off from there as the Grizzlies chipped away at the lead and made their run. The result was in jeopardy. Denver actually lost the lead in the second half. But Murray and Jokić are different animals in crunch time.

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Good luck beating this team in the final five minutes of a game.

Michael Porter Jr. – C+

Porter looks stiff as he plays through a sprained ankle. He did get two of his five three-pointers to drop, but he’s not moving as well as he did in the postseason. It’s hindering his screen navigation, rim attacks, and even his ability to fight on the glass. Porter is inhaling rebounds to start the season, but many are uncontested. Truthfully, he could make an even bigger impact by winning the contested ones and boxing out more securely. He had his moments in Memphis. He stepped up in the third quarter and recorded three assists, including this laser:

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Still, the ankle is a problem right now, even as Porter plays hard through the pain.

Aaron Gordon – C+

Gordon was a low-mistake player in Memphis. He logged one three-point attempt, turned it over only once, and competed defensively. Gordon finished with three steals and one block. But Denver is now 2-0 on the season despite losing the rebounding battle twice. AG grabbed only two in his 30-plus minutes on the floor. The Grizzlies are well-equipped to deal with Denver’s size 3-5.

KCP – B-

So often, the clutch belongs to the two-man game, and it did on one end of the floor in Memphis. But Denver would’ve lost that game without Pope’s effort on the defensive end. KCP is now 2 for 2 in DPOG chains this season after logging five steals and a block against the Grizzlies. Three of those steals came in the fourth quarter. He was flying around like it was a playoff game.

Christian Braun – C+

Like Porter, Braun is doing many of the right things on the floor. A lot of the things we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. But they don’t look easy as he returns from injury. His drives need more punch, and his three-pointer is off. Still, the motor is high. That’s never the issue for the kid from Kansas.

Reggie Jackson – A

Jackson was spectacular off the bench in his second game of the season. He scored 16 on an array of wild buckets. He takes and makes some shots that no one else on the roster does. That’s more than welcome when the shots are falling, but the 6:0 ast/tov ratio made it an outstanding performance. He led all Nuggets off the bench in minutes, points, and assists.

Peyton Watson – A-

Michael Malone didn’t mince his words at practice Thursday. He’s going to be hard on Peyton Watson this season. The minutes are there to start the season, but it’s up to Watson to keep them. They must be earned. Watson responded well to the challenge in Memphis. He logged three blocks and one steal off the bench. He knocked down two threes that looked relatively smooth. Perhaps most importantly, his work rate popped. This is the tape to run when explaining his potential.

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Zeke Nnaji – A-

Somehow, Nnaji didn’t record a single rebound in this game. But damn if he didn’t try. Nnaji was grinding off the bench, trying to keep Jaren Jackson Jr. off the glass and the scoreboard. He fought hard as he created rebounds for his teammates and drew roughly six thousand fouls in his thirteen minutes on the floor. The box scores might rarely be kind to Nnaji this season, but he’s two for two in playing hard and looking the part off the bench.

Julian Strawther – Played!

Starwther logged five minutes in the win. That he logged time at all is more remarkable than anything he did on the floor, but it’s noteworthy. Malone wants to play the kid more than his reputation suggests.