DEN 157, POR 103: Nikola Jokić's Active Hands: 4 Steals
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant · Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Denver Absolutely Demolished Portland, and Your Blazers Fantasy Assets Are in Serious Trouble
157-103. That's not a basketball game, that's a public execution. The Nuggets walked into Portland and reminded everyone why they're All-NBA contenders, while the Blazers got exposed so badly that their fantasy value just took a nosedive into the Pacific.
Let's talk about what actually happened here, because this scoreline tells you everything about who's owning your fantasy roster right now.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 73.0 | 63.3 | 32/9/7 | 28.6/12.3/10.5 | +3.4 |
| Jamal Murray | 49.0 | 42.2 | 25/6/6 | 25.6/4.5/7.6 | -0.6 |
| Deni Avdija | 35.0 | 38.1 | 15/8/13 | 25.0/7.2/6.8 | -10.0 |
| Cameron Johnson | 42.0 | 37.8 | 15/4/4 | 11.8/3.6/2.3 | +3.2 |
| Julian Strawther | 38.0 | 34.2 | 19/6/4 | 7.0/2.1/1.1 | +12.0 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 37.0 | 29.9 | 19/2/3 | 14.0/2.6/1.3 | +5.0 |
| Christian Braun | 32.0 | 29.1 | 11/8/7 | 9.9/4.4/3.0 | +1.1 |
| Donovan Clingan | 31.0 | 28.8 | 15/9/2 | 11.7/11.4/2.1 | +3.3 |
| Spencer Jones | 30.0 | 27.0 | 10/10/2 | 6.0/3.2/0.9 | +4.0 |
| Jrue Holiday | 29.0 | 24.4 | 19/2/2 | 15.8/4.6/6.3 | +3.2 |
Jokic Put on a Clinic, But It's Nothing New
Nikola Jokic dropped 63.3 Yahoo points on 29 minutes. That's the reigning MVP doing exactly what the reigning MVP does. 32 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists on 10-15 shooting from a guy who's playing 29 minutes because Denver was so far ahead they turned it into a scrimmage by the fourth quarter.
Here's the thing though, Jokic ran into a Portland defense that was absolutely lost. When you're getting blown out by 54 points, your players aren't getting proper defensive looks, and Jokic's assist numbers suffered slightly compared to his 10.5 season average. Still elite, obviously. Still the safest guy in fantasy. But this game tells us nothing special because the Blazers were never in it.
The Denver Role Players Went Absolutely Nuclear
This is where it gets spicy. Julian Strawther absolutely cooked for 34.2 Yahoo points, putting up 19 rebounds and 6 boards in 29 minutes. That's +12.0 from his season average. He was 9-16 from the floor and looked comfortable taking real offensive touches.
Here's your waiver wire moment: Strawther just proved he can give you 30+ Yahoo points on a good night against actual NBA competition. He's been hovering around 7 points per game all season, so this is either a massive blowout inflation situation or it's a sign that Denver's starting to give him more offensive responsibility. Check your league's waiver priority because if ownership is still low on Strawther, he's a sneaky add in 12-team leagues. But be honest with yourself, this might have been a mirage created by Portland's non-existent defense.
Tim Hardaway Jr. went 7-11 from the floor with 4 threes in just 18 minutes. 29.9 Yahoo points. That's the kind of performance you love to see, but again, context matters. Portland's perimeter defense was a turnstile. The Nuggets got comfortable and started letting guys hunt shots. Hardaway's season average is 14 points, so tonight's 19 was solid but not apocalyptic. Not a priority add.
Cameron Johnson (37.8 Yahoo FP) and Christian Braun (29.1 Yahoo FP) both had legitimate performances. Johnson went 3-8 but got 7 free throws and hit his threes. Braun grabbed 8 rebounds in 26 minutes with solid scoring and 7 assists. These are rotational guys who benefited from Denver's dominance and Portland's disorganization. Not trending up long term, but nice floor games.
The Portland Disaster
This is where I have to be real with you: if you own significant Portland assets, today was a nightmare.
Deni Avdija is the perfect example. He put up 38.1 Yahoo points (15/8/13 line), which looks great until you see that he's averaging 25 points per game this season and was held to 15. He went off as a playmaker with 13 assists, which is his one saving grace, but he was -10.0 on scoring. On a night when Denver's making everything, Portland's perimeter players get exposed because the game was never close enough for real matchups to matter.
Jrue Holiday (24.4 Yahoo FP) had a decent game with 19 points and 4 threes, but he averaged 15.8 points and his -2.6 on assists shows the Blazers were too busy playing catch-up to develop any offensive rhythm. All-Defensive Second Team performance, wasted.
Donovan Clingan (28.8 Yahoo FP) put up 15 rebounds in just 18 minutes, which is legitimately impressive. His +3.3 on scoring is fine for a young big man, but the real concern is minutes. He got 18 minutes in a blowout. Normally that's great for workload management, but it raises questions about whether Portland's actually committed to playing him heavy minutes when games matter. If he's capping at 18-20 minutes per night, that limits his ceiling significantly.
What This Means for Your Fantasy Teams
Denver's got what they need to compete deep in the playoffs. They're getting production from their star, their role players are stepping up, and their depth is real. Jokic is still the safest player in fantasy basketball.
Portland just got punched in the mouth and never threw back. This wasn't a bad night, this was a reminder that they're not at the level needed to hang with the West's elite. For fantasy purposes, that means their players are going to face more of these situations where game script prevents them from hitting their season averages. Deni Avdija is still a solid player, but expecting him to average 25 points when Portland's getting run off the court regularly is optimistic.
Don't panic sell your Portland guys, but don't expect tonight to be repeatable. This was a massacre, not a blueprint.