The Denver Nuggets put up a good fight in their 115-125 loss to the Portland Trailblazers. It’s especially impressive how well they hung in there with a now healthy Trail Blazers team whilstmissing four starters.
For various reasons Denver was without Paul Milsap, Gary Harris, Will Barton and Jamal Murray. But the healthy Nuggets stepped up in their wake and held their own. The following are my grades for Denver’s effort.
Jerami Grant: A
I have been tough on Jerami Grant in my last few grading articles, but I am happy to give him an A today. Grant consistantly hit the 3-ball and played very good defense against a tough Portland team. When matched up against Damian Lillard he held his own, and really played with a ferocity I felt he lacked in the last few outings. If Grant can show up like that, moving forward the Nuggets will be a real threat in the west and will elevate this team into being an upset favorite.
Mason Plumlee: C+
Plumlee played with energy and made the best of his time on the court. He was most effective cutting and moving towards the basket and was even able to get to the line down the stretch. Mason was decent on the defensive side of the ball but struggled to close out on the numerous Trail Blazer 3-point attempts. Plumlee was not crashing the glass like we know he can and still has more to give. I still trust Mason to bring his A game once the playoffs begin.
Bol Bol: C+
Bol Bol gets this grade primarily just for having a 7’8 wingspan. That wingspan was key in disrupting quite a few looks tonight including a handful from Carmelo Anthony. Bol still looks like a young player who is processing a little slowly as he operates on the floor. The game hasn’t quite slowed down for him yet but these minutes are essential to his growth. He missed a few shots which were suspect but he created some opportunities for himself with some nifty pump fakes and drives to the hoop.
P.J. Dozier: B
P.J. played a very good game and made the most of his increased minutes (22). He played a steady game on both sides of the ball and showed he can be a consistent jump shooter from distance. Dozier handled the ball well, was not turnover prone, and kept the offense pumping with the second unit on the floor. Overall, P.J. played his best game in the bubble and debatably it was his most well-balanced outing of the season.
Michael Porter Jr.: B+
MPJ and Gary Trent Jr. became very familiar with one another throughout the course of this contest as this was the first time we really saw a defense game-plan for Porter Jr. The good news is that he was still able to put up 27 points, and he gathered 12 rebounds on top of that. Though Trent Jr. proved to be a pesky and stingy defender, Michael Porter Jr. was up for the challenge. MPJ looked locked in on defense early with two steals in the first half and he appeared to embrace the challenge of defending the likes of Jusuf Nurkic, Carmelo Anthony and Zach Collins. MPJ showed he belongs in the starting lineup and hopefully that sticks moving along.
Monte Morris: C
Monte put up a pretty solid showing and ran the offense smoothly in the absence of Jamal Murray for the 4th game in a row now. He seems to be feeling more comfortable in the starting role and that experience should give him an upper hand once the playoffs begin. Monte only turned the ball over once against a a toughnosed cast of Portland guards and handled himself well on the defensive side of the ball. I would like to see him a little more aggressive in the pick and roll with Jokic and shooting the 3-ball, but regardless, he performed solidly.
Nikola Jokic: C+
Nikola was all about facilitating and not so much about finding his own offense. To be honest, this was an unimportant game in the eyes of Mike Malone and that reflected in Nikola’s play. He essentially warmed the bench the entire second half which, I think all fans would say is a great move. Why risk injury when literally all of the other starters are out with various ailments?
Torrey Craig: C-
Torrey had a tough assignment being the primary defender of the Damien Lillard/CJ McCollum duo and he did an average job. The chips were stacked against him being one of the only starters well equipped to defend elite guards. Without Murray and Harris available to help carry the load he didn’t have much time to pick up stats elsewhere. He did have 13 points but the offensive rebounding and endless energy we are accustomed to was just not there for the most part.
Kieta Bates-Diop: D
I think it took me a solid two minutes to realize Kieta Bates-Diop had actually checked into the game and another two minutes to completely forget he was on the floor. His impact was practically null and somehow he played 24 whole minutes. This is just another indication that this game didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. When the playoffs begin, it’s highly improbable we will see Bates-Diop get any playing time barring multiple injuries to key players (knock on wood).
The Nuggets will take on the tough Utah Jazz squad on August 8th and we will see how much stock Malone puts into this one. As tough as it has been to not see our beloved Nuggets at full health, it’s important they are bereft of all ailments entering the playoffs. Hopefully, Denver will at least get a warm-up game as a healthy squad before we enter the next phase. Time will tell when that may actually occur.