The Nuggets have reeled off nine wins in their last 10 games en route to a 10-5 December. A dominant stretch by Nikola Jokić has helped the team get back on track offensively, but there were several other Nuggets who stood out this month. Here are the nominees for Nugget of the Month: Nikola Jokić Jokić fired back at any early-season criticism in the best way he could, turning in one of the better months of his four-plus seasons in Denver. The 24-year-old’s 128 offensive rating in December is the fifth-highest month of his career (his best was 137 in December 2016). Jokić is averaging 20.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.7 assists on 54.1 percent shooting. He’s also proving to be deadly from three-point range, converting on 40 percent of his attempts. Will Barton III Barton III’s impressive bounce-back season carried into December as the Nuggets’ swingman averaged 14.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 46.4 percent shooting. Barton III’s top showing of the month arguably came in a loss against the Sixers on Dec. 10. With Jamal Murray suffering an injury early in the contest, Barton shouldered some of the scoring and playmaking responsibilities and finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. Jerami Grant The Nuggets’ reserve forward saw a dramatic improvement in his shooting from downtown, going from 36.1 percent in November compared to 50.9 percent in December. Grant has also utilized his lengthy 7-foot-3 wingspan to make key contributions on the defensive end, including his game-saving swat against Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker on Dec. 23rd. Overall, Grant averaged 11.1 points per game on an impressive 63.6 true shooting percentage (good for first on the Nuggets in the month). Jamal Murray Murray had several clutch performances for the Nuggets, including a 33-point, five-rebound showing against Orlando in a 113-104 victory. He also hit the game-winning shot against the Phoenix Suns in a dramatic 113-111 result.
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