Budweiser Nugget of the Month: January 2020 nominees

January has been a tough month for the Denver Nuggets, who have had to navigate several injuries to key rotation players. Gary Harris, Jamal Murray, Paul Millsap and Mason Plumlee have all missed significant time this month due to injury. And yet, the Nuggets have gone 9-5 as a result of timely contributions from the second unit and MVP-caliber play from Nikola Jokić.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the nominees for January’s Nugget of the Month:

As usual, the Serbian big man continued to lead the way for Denver in January, increasing his contributions when the team needed him most. In 33.8 minutes per game this month, Jokić averaged 23.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 52 percent shooting from the field, including 36.4 percent from downtown.

Denver’s All-Star big man has been more aggressive in hunting his shot, whether that is from the post or on jump shots from the perimeter. With the Nuggets down two starters and their backup center for a good portion of the month, the team has relied more on Jokić and he has certainly delivered.

With Millsap out for the majority of January, Grant has been thrown into a larger role in the starting lineup. The 25-year-old forward has played nearly 30 minutes per game this month and has averaged 13.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Grant’s versatility has unlocked more small-ball lineups with him at center, while his shooting has ticked up in this recent stretch.

Grant has shot nearly 39 percent from beyond the arc in January on over three attempts per game, while he has continued to showcase his athleticism with highlight-worthy dunks and blocks.

There has been one constant throughout the Nuggets’ season so far, and it has been the play of Barton III. Denver’s veteran forward has been tasked with shouldering a bigger load on the offensive end with all of the injuries and he hasn’t disappointed.

Barton III has played 34 minutes per game in January and has posted averages of 15 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Additionally, Barton III has contributed 1.2 steals per game and has shot nearly 35 percent on 5.5 3-point attempts per game, his highest number of attempts per game in any month this year.

As mentioned earlier, Denver’s second-unit has been key to surviving this stretch of injuries, and no player has produced more eye-popping plays and numbers than Porter Jr. Receiving consistent playing time for the first time this season, Porter Jr. has showcased his scoring and rebounding abilities in January with averages of 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

With some of Denver’s best shooters out with injuries, Porter Jr.’s 48.8 percent 3-point shooting this month has been a welcome sign for the Nuggets’ offense. The 21-year-old forward is a double-double threat every time he steps on to the floor for meaningful playing time, which has been exactly what Denver has needed this month.