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Fansided

The love hate relationship between fans and Will Barton

By Mathew Huff

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 13: Will Barton #5 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 13, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 13: Will Barton #5 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 13, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Will Barton has had a solid year despite many fans wanting to cut ties with him.

Will Barton was in the running for Sixth Man of the Year just a couple seasons ago which made many fans fall in love with his game.

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When one looks at his stats compared to Jamal Crawford, who won the award that season, it is clear Barton was robbed of these honors. Last year saw a different Will Barton as his numbers dipped as did the fan’s appreciation of him.

Now, in his contract year, he is starting to look like the player from when he was first traded from the Portland Trail Blazers yet again. As a result, this has created a somewhat confusing scenario between Nuggets fans and Barton himself.

Fans have a love hate relationship with Denver’s sixth man. Barton has a tendency to force the issue at times and become too ball dominant which frustrates fans to no end. This year however, Denver has been saved by him at times and his ability to create space for his own shot.

As a result, there is a divide between the fan base on whether or not he deserves a new contract from the franchise or not since he is scheduled to be a free agent. According to basketball-reference.com, Barton is averaging 14.9 points per game on 48.5% shooting this year along with an effective field goal percentage of 53.9%.

His box plus/minus has also slightly improved fro last year as it has increased from 0.3 to 1.9. He is also a better defender this season which has made him much more versatile.

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Part of the reason for his sudden surge may be because he is vying for a new contract, but the relationship between him and the Nuggets’ fan base is certainly a fickle one to be certain and most likely will remain a roller coaster ride of emotions through the year.

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