A look at Will Barton’s season so far in Denver.
Trivia Time!
Let’s look at three forwards in the NBA: one signed a 4 year, $60 million contract this offseason; another signed a 5 year, $25 million contract this offseason; the third signed a 3 year, $10 million contract this offseason. Guess which of the three has a positive RPM (Real Plus-Minus) for his team? That’s right, the guy making 3.5 million this season, Will Barton! DeMarre Carroll and Kyle Singler, respectively, were the wrong answers.
Want another go? Alright, out of Will Barton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Rudy Gay, which currently has a positive RPM and plays for a current playoff team? Well that would be Barton on BOTH accounts!
Alright, this is too much fun not to spin the Will of Fortune one last time. At the risk of insulting Chris Douglas-Roberts, there are three players from the University of Memphis playing significant roles for their current teams. Of those three players, one was selected first overall in his draft, is making $20 million this season, and has -0.1 win shares; another was selected fourth overall in his draft, is making $11.2 million this season, and has 0.4 win shares; and one was selected 40th overall, is making $3.3 million this season, and has 2.1 win shares. Guess which one of the three is Will Barton! You’re right, it was basketball player #3, putting to shame his fellow Tiger alums Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans! You’re really good at this game!
Where He Came From
Now that you know Will Barton is the greatest player on the planet, you probably want to know where he came from. After starring at the University of Memphis, earning Conference USA Player-of-the-Year honors in 2012, he declared early for the NBA. Barton was the 40th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers; he appeared in 144 games over 3 seasons with the Blazers, earning 5 starts during his rookie season but not starting since. Last season he was a toss-in with the Aron Afflalo deal that saw him shipped to Denver, where he played twice as many minutes for the Nuggets as he had during any season in Portland; with more minutes came more stats, but his shooting was abysmal and he was not an efficient player. As ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wrote at the time of the trade: “There have been stretches where it appeared Barton might be Portland’s long-term answer as a wing reserve, but he could never score efficiently enough to justify regular minutes.”
This offseason Barton inked a three year, 10.6 million deal to stay with Denver; role player money, and with the booming cap not exactly a vote of confidence from the Nuggets. Expectations for him were understandably low on a team not thought to be a serious playoff contender. 538.com’s NBA Preview projection system saw Barton as a below-average player on the fringe of the rotation, and ESPN’s NBA Rank list had Barton at 298th in the league, 10th on his team.
The Report Card
Barton has shot out of the gates at a level much higher than his previous seasons. He’s played in all 25 of Denver’s games, averaging over 28 minutes a game, which ranks 3rd on the team. He ranks 2nd on the team in points and 3 pointers, and first in steals. Barton is putting up 14.6 points and 5.8 rebounds with a .57% true shooting percentage, all easily career highs. In the month of December, those averages bump up to 18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and a 5-2 record for the Denver Nuggets. Overall, the Nuggets are 11-14, good enough for 8th in the topsy-turvy West.
Barton is logging most of his time as a small forward: 68% of his minutes are at the three, with only 28% as a 2-guard (the remaining 4% comes at power forward in extreme small-ball lineups). Interestingly, however, the Nuggets have been a step below average when he plays in one of the forward spots, and a small step above when he plays in the backcourt.
Barton isn’t just standing out in the box score either; he passes the eye test. Down the stretch in a tight game Monday Night against the Houston Rockets, it wasn’t veteran guard Jameer Nelson handling the ball, nor was it the team’s highest paid players, Danilo Gallinari or Kenneth Faried. Will Barton was running out the clock, and Will Barton sinking a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach. He’s throwing down thunderous dunks, tossing shoes off the court, and putting his imprint on this team.
Out of the Blue?
The question to answer is where did this solid player come from, and will he stick around? The Will Barton arrival may seem surprising given his draft status and even the contract he just signed this summer, but there have been hints along the way. As we see often with young players, a bad start to a career may just need a change of scenery.
Dave Deckard of Blazers Edge wrote in March “I think everybody saw the potential in Barton. The question became, “Is this guy worth changing your offense for?” Given Portland’s position, goals, and roster, that answer was no. Denver’s different.”
And that seems to be the key. Portland wasn’t willing to give Barton the minutes and offensive context to allow him to show what he could do; Denver is, and to Mike Malone’s credit, the offense seems to be a perfect fit for him. He is flourishing in his 6th man role for the team, and at the price he was signed for, he’ll be a bargain value for the next three years on a Denver squad with plenty of things to be happy about this Christmas.
Alright, one last quick one. Out of Will Barton, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony, who has the highest three-point shooting percentage. BARTON!!!!!
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