Nuggets vs Knicks II: " NO MERCY!"

The Good Guys

Their Adversaries

*Red boxes above indicate one notable number to catch my eye for each team

(Open images in a new tab for a closer look. Charts courtesy of ESPN.COM. All links contained within this piece will open in a new tab or window.)

If you are viewing the pre-game version of the TPM piece and you enjoy gonzo-basketball reporting, I invite you to please join me after the game where the same link will lead you to the post-game version. In it, all of the disjointed/unsightly blanks below will be filled, complete with data/analysis.

In-game analysis will be provided for all games except for the second of B2B and/or weekend games. Data will be tracked for all 82 games, regardless of whether analysis is provided or not.

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Data:

TPM™ Game 54 NYK

Nikola "Big Honey" Jokic: +29

Aaron "Aar" Gordon: +19

"Brontosaurus" Monte Morris: +6

Will "Thrill" Barton: +15

"Uncle" Jeff Green: -6

"Bones" Hyland: +32

Bryn "The Djinn" Forbes: +6

Zeke "Freaky Deeky Zeeky" Nnaji: +4

"Mr Undependable" JaMychal Green: +31

Facundo "El Mago" Campazzo: +0

"Mr Dependable" Davon Reed: +3

"Wet" Markus Howard: +0

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Total TPM™

Nikola Jokic: 47 games +1747

Aaron Gordon: 48 games +649

Monte Morris: 49 games +663

Will Barton: 46 games +385

Jeff Green: 49 games +146

Bones Hyland: 42 games +281

Bryn Forbes: 11 game +62

Austin Rivers: 39 games +64

Zeke Nnaji: 37 games +137

DeMarcus Cousins: 5 games +29

JaMychal Green: 40 games +72

Facundo Campazzo: 51 games +397

Davon Reed: 28 games +95

Markus Howard: 23 games +64

Jamal Murray: 0 games +0

Michael Porter Jr: 9 games +56

Vlatko Cancar: 14 games +56

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Avg. TPM™ Per Game

Nikola Jokic: +37.17

Aaron Gordon: +13.52

Monte Morris: +13.53

Will Barton: +8.37

Jeff Green: +2.98

Bones Hyland: +6.69

Bryn Forbes: +5.64

Austin Rivers: +1.64

Zeke Nnaji: +3.70

DeMarcus Cousins: +5.80

JaMychal Green: +1.80

Facundo Campazzo: +7.78

Davon Reed: +3.39

Markus Howard: +2.78

Jamal Murray: +0.50

Michael Porter Jr: +6.22

Vlatko Cancar: +4.00

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TPM™ Per-Minute Splits (Through game 42 {midway point})

*Credit DomP on the Spreadsheet.

Analysis:

Qtr1- The Nuggets go with their 15TH starting five, consisting of Monte, Will, Unc, AG & MVP. The Knicks counter with Gibson, Walker, Barrett, Fournier & Randle. Joker wins the tap and we are underway. SB Nation is experiencing a lag tonight so I'll do my best. I may not be as loquacious as usual. It's even-Steven at the time of the first break, 7:14. NY is en fuego (5-8) from beyond the arc and they lead by five at the time of the next break, 6:35.

Zeke is first off the bench for the good guys at this time, for the ineffective Jeff Green. Monte's D has been unbearable thus-far. Taj checks out with two fouls at 4:31, leading by three. Forbes/Bones enter for Denver at 2:42, trailing by four. J-Myke/Reed enter at 1:29, trailing by three. Bones sticks a three over Dollar-Tree-Bones, Quickly. Barton/Monte sit and the perimeter D instantly improves through effort alone., as Denver retakes the lead in the closing seconds.

Denver is paced in TPM by Jokic: +13 as they lead 40-36 after one.

Qtr2- The Bench unit for Denver is focused defensively, in a way the starters were not. Denver extends their lead to seven at the time of the first break, 9:03. J-Myke has been excellent in the early going. Denver is on an 18-6 run, and lead by nine at 8:53. Quickly has three quick fouls; he's no match for ACTUAL Bones. He scores 6 straight and Denver leads by 15 at the time of the first break, 7:15.

Zeke is absolutely EVERYWHERE defensively, and Denver is ALREADY in the bonus at 7:00, as the starters for both teams trickle in. J-Myke/Bones make two in double digits for Denver, who lead by 20 at 5:34. Bones gets a loud ovation from the Mile High faithful, as he exits at 5:01, leading by 23. The lead is 26 and this is the most points Denver has scored in any half this season, with 1:38 remaining in the half. AG/MVP make four in double digits for Denver.

Denver is paced in TPM by JMyke: +20 as they lead 83-60 at the half.

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Qtr3- The Nuggets need to keep their foot on the gas, so they can rest the starters, prior to an important two game Leastern conference swing, vs the two hottest teams in that conference, Boston/Toronto. The typing lag seems to be dissipating a bit, so things are lookin' up in this dusty ol' cow-town. Taj has two quick fouls for hacking the bejezuz outta' MVP, but remains in. The lead for Denver is 23 at the time of the first break, 8:50. AG/MVP are in synch on consecutive dunks, passed to each other, by each other, and the lead is 24 at 6:03. MVP is definitely on pace for a 3D tonight, but if all continues as is, he won't play in the 4th to earn one.

He has 17/8/6, as of current. Barton nabs his 4th foul but remains in at 4:45, up 22. Zeke enters for the listless Uncle Jeff at 4:35, up 20. The refs need to locate their whistles fast, or there is GOING to be an incident tonight. NY cuts it to 15 on the strength of some egregiously lacking effort by Barton defensively and boxing out, at 3:35. MVP sits with 17/9/6 which may be his final line, if the bench plays as they did in the first. Barton allows YET ANOTHER long board as he sags into the paint, ball-watching. Taj is t-ed up for bitching about a foul. Ironic, that. Barton/AG sit and the bench unit is intact with under 30 seconds to go, up 19.

Denver is paced in TPM by Jokic: +25 as they lead 111-94 after three.

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Qtr4- The Nuggets need to put this away early so I can get my math out of the way and join the winners lounge over at DNVR. Barton is out there which makes absolutely zero sense. It seems Malone is punishing Reed for a Barton-like three, early in the shot clock. Burks cuts it to 14 on an and-one. Consecutive threes by Bones/Forbes restore order and the lead is 18 at 7:15. Toppin of all people, sticks a three, cutting it to 13, and MVP readies to enter at 6:29. Bones remains in from the bench and Barton somehow also remains in.

Jokic is playing like a man who (rightly) didn't expect to have to come back in. Gibson is called for his 6th foul; he's committed no fewer than 20. Marlowe adroitely proclaims "bye Felicia." MVP is slowly restoring order and the lead is up to 17 with 3:35 remaining. Jokic has his 2D with 21/10/7. Four players (Bones/Jokic/Barton/J-Myke) have over 20 points, while AG has 19/8/4. Brilliant offensive night, but not the best defensive effort of the season. MVP finally gets to sit as the bench is cleared and that should just about do it. BARTON SOMEHOW REMAINS IN, to my dismay.

Denver is paced in TPM by Bones: +32 as they win big, 132-115

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Final Thoughts:

• Denver wins big, and in so doing, improves to 30-24 on the season.
  
• 83 first half points for Denver; no typo, was the most in any half by any NBA squad this season. This was an enormous schedule-loss for NY; don't get too high on this one, Nuggets.
  
• Big night for the bench, especially J-Myke, Bones & Zeke. Good to see J-Myke find his stroke from distance.
  
• If I'm to nitpick, the defensive play of Monte/Will/Jeff remains horrendous.
  
• Jeff Green was the only minus player of the starting five tonight, in terms of TPM. He, more than anyone, sleepwalks vs inferior opponents or on no rest.
  
• I am SO OVER the Will Barton pass-then-look-away, play.
  

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For context pertaining to the statistical aspects of this piece, please open this link: TPM™

A brief statement with regard to this piece on whole:

As a means to avoid repeating myself I will include this descriptive diatribe in all TPM posts going forward.

Sure I like statistics; ever since I was a child collecting sports cards and later a pre-teen who ran pre-internet fantasy sports leagues on ink/paper/spreadsheet for the four major US pro-leagues, I've been fascinated by box-score stats, but I'm by no means an expert.

I created TPM, which has been around longer than RPM incidentally and unlike them, I fully disclose my non-proprietary system and I contextualize the action rather than being a boring, mysterious, predictive metric, because it does add immediate and accessible context to what we see and what the numbers indicate, which I like.

While the data is meticulously tracked and demonstrably sound, I'm a creative type, not an engineer. Algorithm is the bane of my existence in fact. I'd far rather approach life with the intrigue of expected surprise than attempt to get to the bottom of why things are the way they are. There are many engineers in my family so I totally understand that joy can be derived from finding solutions to problems, I just can't relate. It's not fun for me. THIS is for the most part, not fun for me.

Now I'm a 45-year-old man who was born during the season in which the team I love joined the NBA. I happen to have a lifetime of experience with this sport in several capacities, including playing (highly underrated within the writing community) so I understand basketball theory in a way most (by no means all) pundits do not.

I was, in this case, interested in a data-driven approach, which if I'm honest has sapped nearly all fun out of taking in games for me. I get very few days/nights off during the season. One piece requires several hours of research and data entry and all tracking/analysis is done in real time and published mere moments after each game's completion, 82 times per year.

As such, the analysis portion is about 90% (I've run the numbers) creative writing with sarcasm generally indicated through italics, non-sequitur humor and hyperbole, in an attempt to steal back some of the joy this endeavor has snatched away.

Hopefully there is a little something here for everyone but if you came just for data or are averse to colorful language, this is not the place for you. I have no way of knowing how many people even read this so I'll not be affected even remotely if you choose not to indulge. For those of you who do, I greatly appreciate your the support.

I can be found at @prmorphine on Twitter.

Also, my DIY music production and videos can be heard/seen here if you don't value your ear-balls & eye-drums.

And as always, get the jab, wear the mask, act like a good person privately and especially in public; even if you are not, and most importantly, fuck the Lakers.

#DoNotBeABranchCovidian
#DoNotBeAnAmmosexual
#FuckTheLakersOneMoreTimeJustForGoodMeasure
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