Denver Nuggets 2019-20 Team Awards

The Nuggets eagerly await the resumption of basketball activities in order to put the finishing touches on another great season in Denver. When COVID-19 struck, Denver found itself atop the Northwest and just a game and a half out of the two-seed in the West. Nikola Jokic cemented his superstardom, Will Barton bounced back, and Jamal Murray showed he’s at least a 19-3-3 player. They didn’t take a leap like last year, but maintaining their perch towards the top of the West is no small feat.

6th Man of the Year: Jerami Grant

While he didn’t have quite the impact some foresaw when the team acquired him from OKC in the offseason, Grant provided some solid frontcourt versatility and athleticism off the bench, and played admirably as a starter when Paul Millsap took the night off. There was a chance going into the season that Grant could establish himself as the long-term solution at the ‘four’ for Denver; he didn’t, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a huge piece of their rotation, averaging more minutes per game than starter Millsap, and playing in 64/65 possible games for the Nuggets.

Most Improved Player: Will Barton

A little lost amidst the great 2019 season in Denver was the downturn in play from Barton, who suffered a hip injury early in the year and simply was not himself when he returned. The Nuggets were able to paper over his shortcomings with great seasons from Malik Beasley and Monte Morris, but to fulfill their promise, they needed Barton to return to form. He did. His points per game jumped back up over 15 after just 11.5 last season. He averaged a career-high in rebounds at 6.3, and added a strong 3.7 assists per game as well, all while leading the team in minutes per game. The Nuggets aren’t where they are this season if Barton doesn’t up his game the way he did.

Rookie of the Year: Michael Porter Jr.

This is cheating a little, since Porter Jr. wasn’t drafted last year, but this is his first season suiting up for Denver, so he’s the runaway winner. Remember a few ‘graphs up where I talked about Jerami Grant missing a chance to establish himself as the long-term power forward in Denver? That’s because MPJ flashed the potential to show that he was the answer next to Jokic, with a 19-6 game against Sacramento, 25-5 in Indy, 19-8 versus Charlotte, 18-10 in San Francisco, and 20-14 in Minneapolis, all over three weeks, all in wins. He wouldn’t last to the 14th pick if they did the 2018 draft over again, that’s for sure.

Defensive Player of the Year: Nikola Jokic

I thought about Gary Harris, I did. After all the breathless pieces about how he might be the DPOY of the LEAGUE in the beginning part of the year, I had to. But it’s hard to give awards to Gary Harris right now. Especially when Jokic led the Nuggets in defensive rating, defensive box plus/minus, defensive win shares, steals, defensive rebounds, and was second in blocks. He doesn’t look pretty doing it, but he’s the anchor on the defensive end of the court too.

Most Valuable Player: Nikola Jokic

Obviously. He followed up a 20.2-10.8-7.4 points-rebounds-assists season with a 20.2-10.2-6.9 -- after a horrifically slow start. His breakout year wasn’t a fluke; this is who Jokic is. In a season where he doesn’t spend all summer playing FIBA ball, but has time to rest and get his body right, we’ll see another level. In February, he averaged 25.5-10.0-7.2. Find a picture of quarantine Jokic, and you’ll see an almost unbelievably thin version who is aching to get to Orlando and play some postseason ball. He is Denver basketball, now and for the foreseeable future: the no-doubt Nugget MVP in 2020.