Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers: 10 Note-Worthy Takeaways

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Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) drives to the basket past Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) and guard Damian Lillard (0) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

#2- Will Barton’s confidence growing

We saw a lot from Will Barton that seemed familiar, but he also seems to be gaining confidence in Denver’s’ offense.

He was attacking the basket well Sunday night, scoring the first Denver points on an and-one floater (although he missed the free throw). He also had an early missed dunk in the lane which bounced off the rim. It was a great drive to the hoop one a crossover move, but he couldn’t connect.

He could have used a little refinement, but his skill was on full display. Will is defending at a high level this preseason, while also making plays defensively. It looks like he has also been working on his catch-and-shoot game this offseason. He used this for a nice 3-pointer in the second half, which he immediately followed by another step-back 3 on the next offensive possession. Barton ended up shooting 2- 3 from three Sunday Night.

Will showed great length when driving to the cup and is really proving himself as a capable two-way player. He ended the game with 17 points and 7 assists, while scoring, facilitating and looking like a leader.

It is hard to come-by in Denver, but these upgrades should buy him more minutes on the floor.

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