https://youtu.be/l2psuyKP9DY
Two must-win (using the term loosely here, but I’ve got a narrative to weave, dammit) playoff games, two big performances in a row for Monte Morris. He wasn’t the most valuable player on his team those games, since Nikola Jokic was on the court and doing his usual Jokic things, but after looking at the available evidence (basically just a half-lidded glance at basketball-reference), he was definitely the second-most valuable player in those games, and probably the series as a whole.
It’s an easier task now than it has been in the past for a Nuggets role-player to be the second banana, for sure. Jokic will always be the first banana until he retires, but Jamal Murray has been an elite second banana. With his absence, who else can even step up? The Nuggets lineup is all messed up right now. Michael Porter Jr., I guess, but he’s just a scorer. Aaron Gordon? If he can’t statpad while not helping his team win, he’s not super useful. And then you get to players like Austin Rivers who wasn’t even on a team for a while there, and Paul Millsap who looks totally listless now that he isn’t able to hold down Jerami Grant anymore.
Personally I would love to see JaMychal Green step up as the second option if only to be able to rub it in Spurs’ fans faces since Popovich was the one who originally gave up on him. But that’s not very realistic.
Morris’ preeminent solidity is just what the Nuggets needed. It’s really fun and cool to pretend to have a flabby 7-footer be your point guard, but when it comes down to it, when the games matter and teams try to play defense (even the Blazers), having an actual point guard on the court to do actual point guard things is a big asset. This is what the Bucks figured out with Jrue Holiday, and I think the Nuggets are figuring it out with Morris.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed that it was Morris running the show for a large chunk of the fourth quarter. Who do you trust more when trying to close a team out? The meme turnover-prone Serbian, or the guy who had the best assist-to-turnover ratio in NCAA history? They trusted Morris, and it paid off; they’re going to the second round, while Lamian Dillard can enjoy his teammate of the year award and his statpadded scoring stats.