Denver Nuggets: Player grades from Washington
Will Barton – A
Okay, I know I said I wouldn’t grade Barton for the rest of the year. I know I’ve said I alternate between wanting to rename all my kids Barton and wanting to launch Thrill into the sun.
A couple of things; Barton is far more important to the Nuggets than we think. Barton is a very good basketball player. I will take the heat for those two statements because I believe they are true.
Will doesn’t pass as often as we’d like, but he also is uncanny at getting to the basket. He throws up three point shots indiscriminately, even when his shot isn’t falling but he was 5-for-7 from deep last night.
The Nuggets can be erratic from the free throw line but Barton was 8-for-8 against the Wizards.
Denver is middle-of-the-pack in Blocked Shots at 4.8/gm but Barton had five blocks in 35 minutes.
Add in three assists and seven rebounds and Thrill had a solid, efficient game.
As much as Barton gets scapegoated for the Nuggets woes and as deserved as some of the criticism may be, Will carries on. He commented that he’s fine with absorbing the criticism and that’s a great trait.
It’s on us, though to make sure we point out when he puts down a gem like last night.