On Wednesday night, the Denver Nuggets were a half a game up on the Portland Trailblazers for the eighth seed in the playoff race. After a disappointing loss on Tuesday night to the Los Angeles Lakers, they welcomed in a talented Memphis Grizzlies team into the Pepsi Center on the second night of what Coach Malone deemed as one of the toughest back-to-backs, so it was already known that it would be a tough game.
And tough it was. The Nuggets fell 119-99 and another loss was tallied.
Here’s are my player grades for the night:
Jameer Nelson: N/A
0 points, 2 assist, 1 rebound, +1
It’s funny even mentioning him. One would assume that when Emmanuel Mudiay got back that that would mean back to the bench for Nelson, right? Wrong..well, in a way. While Nelson started the game over Mudiay, his night ended abruptly, as he only played 3 minutes in the game before getting ejected. We’ll see you Friday Jameer.
Gary Harris: B
12 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, -9
Harris hasn’t been having bad games, it’s just that the Nuggets haven’t been performing too well, so that makes it difficult for a player who scored 12 points and was perfect going 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. It does seem as if he’s being eased back into action but it’s good to see him have things going offensively.
Danilo Gallinari: C-
14 points, 2 assist, 3 rebounds, -11
Gallinari didn’t have that good of a game. He was 4-of-12 from the field and 0-of-3 from beyond the arc in his 29 minutes played. He just couldn’t get it going offensively, and seemed to force a bunch of shots.
Gallo did a good job of getting to the free throw line, and that kind of saves him in that regard as. Tonight, he finished 6-of-8 from the free throw line. He also went down at the end of the third quarter with a groin injury. He limped off the court, tried to work out on the sideline, got back in the game, only to not be able to run and went back to the locker room, not to return. His status for Friday’s game vs. the Bucks is up in the air.
Kenneth Faried: C
11 points, 1 assist, 11 rebounds, 1 steal
Faried started the game as he starts most games, with lots of energy. He keeps a bunch of balls alive and is tenacious on the boards. He did go an efficient 5-of-6 from the field and finished with 11 points. Where Faried tends to struggle is on the defensive end, and getting put in situations where he is switched on to a guard. Faried must work on his on ball 1-on-1 defense and limiting his turnovers as he had three forced passes tonight.
Jusuf Nurkic: D
4 points, 3 assist, 3 rebounds, -9
This was supposed to be his time, but Nurkic just continues to have rough games. He went 1-of-4 from the field, including a missed alley-oop. It’s rather confusing, as you’d assume with Jokic on the shelf for at least another game, that Nurkic would be up for the task of showcasing why he should go back to getting more minutes. The Nuggets needed a big body to try and limit Gasol. That didn’t happen, as Gasol went for 24 points and got almost everything he wanted. Nurkic must put in more effort on a nightly basis and take advantage of the fact that Jokic is out.
Wilson Chandler: D
4 points, 4 assist, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, -20
Chandler had one of his best games offensively against the Lakers on Tuesday night, so it was something to watch for to see if he’d be able to keep it rolling. It didn’t last, as Chandler had a very tough game offensively. He only finished with 4 points and finished 2-of-6. With Jokic out and Gallinari not getting it going offensively, somebody must step up and take shots, that’s where Chandler should come into play. He must pick up the slack on nights that Denver will need some scoring from their bench.
Emmanuel Mudiay: C
14 points, 7 assist, 6 rebounds, -19
Not only was there a 20-minute restriction for Mudiay, which he was forced to play longer than expected with the ejection of Nelson, but it was a new thing for us to see him come off of the bench. For his first game back with the restriction, he finished with 25 minutes played. He remained on the attack all night as he finished 4-of-10 from the field, but he is still missing those layups that’s expected to be made. He did manage to go 6-of-10 from the free throw line, so staying aggressive seems to be the answer, he just has to start finishing.
Darrell Arthur: C+
14 points, 5 rebounds, -8
When Arthur has been healthy, he has been having some good games. He defends at a high level and extends the defense with the 3-pointer and his ability to knock down from mid-range. On Wednesday night, he had 14 points in only 13 minutes, trying to give the Nuggets some much needed scoring off the bench. Hopefully he stays healthy, as having him and Jokic on the floor together has proved to be effective.
Jamal Murray: C-
9 points, 2 assist, 4 rebounds -12
Murray is going to be an exciting player for the Nuggets. He just seems to have a good feel for the game, and is progressing as the year continues. There were a lot of minutes to be had alongside Mudiay, but Murray finished with 9 points and went 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. It’s good that the rookie is staying aggressive but at the same time, if the shot isn’t falling, get yourself going in different ways.
Juancho Hernangomez: B
8 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds, -5
It took Gallinari going down for Hernangomez to get into the game, but once he gets in the game you always know something exciting is going to happen. There was a play in the fourth quarter that Juancho got the ball and drove, dunking despite getting fouled. Those are the type of plays the Nuggets expect out of Juancho. He had himself a good fourth quarter and that’s all you can ask for from the rookie. He makes garbage time worth it.
Mike Miller: N/A
0 points, 2 rebounds, even
Yes, you read it right. Mike Miller played tonight. With Memphis up 20 points in the fourth quarter. I’m not sure if there is a better white flag in all of sports. Miller got a rebound and just appears as a coach out on the floor. He did have a wide open 3-pointer that he missed, which is uncharacteristic for him, but then again, is there a miss as beautiful as his? I didn’t think so.
Johnny O’Bryant: C-
2 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, -4
As this game got away from the Nuggets, Malone decided to go deep into his bench and O’Bryant got to play. He is on the last day of his 10-day contract, so this was needed for him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get any traction, as he finished with 2 points, both from the free throw line. It is up in the air on if the Nuggets will decide to re-sign him for another 10-day contract.
Malik Beasley: N/A
7 points, 1 assist, 1 steal
Malik Beasley got in at the end of the fourth quarter, but that didn’t stop him from doing what he does best, being a microwave. Beasley hit a 3-pointer out of a timeout and followed that up with a driving layup in traffic. It’s hard for Beasley to get minutes with such a talented backcourt, but it is still nice for him to be the silver lining in garbage time.
