Denver Nuggets: The Case for Will Barton Coming off the Bench

The Denver Nuggets paid Will Barton handsomely to start for them last offseason, but they should move him to the bench for the 2019-20 season.

The Denver Nuggets are a team that beats you more with a collective effort than the efforts of one singular player. No one on the roster is going to average over 25 points a night as most teams do, but they do need one specific player to be far more consistent in the 2019 season. That player is wing Will Barton. Barton signed a big contract extension last offseason, but injuries largely derailed his 2018 campaign.

Barton averaged 11.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game with poor efficiency as he shot just 40.2 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from 3-point range. Barton is expected to be the Nuggets’ spark plug scorer, similar to how Lou Williams works with the Los Angeles Clippers. In 2019, he’ll likely be coming off the bench with Jerami Grant now in the fold, and the Nuggets will need him to carry the offense of the second unit.

Barton was paid for the improved performance that he had shown over the previous two seasons. He improved his scoring, rebounding and assist totals, and he did it while still maintaining his efficiency. In the 2017-18 season, he averaged 15.7 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting. They don’t need him to average that high of a point total, although it wouldn’t hurt, they need him to focus on his efficiency the most.

Last season, Denver’s bench was 16th in the NBA in points per game, and they also finished 16th in 3-point percentage. Monte Morris and Malik Beasley do a good job of running a smooth offense especially in transition where all of their athleticism allows them to gain an advantage over opponents, and Barton should excel in that area. However, he has to play within the offense rather than trying to play hero ball for the bench.

Nikola Jokic is going to put up consistent numbers every night. He’s likely going to average around 22 points and 10 rebounds with seven or so assists. That’s what he does. You’re also going to get similar production out of guys like Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, although an uptick in efficiency would be greatly appreciated out of them. In a super-sub role where he still gets plenty of minutes, Barton’s play, especially on offense becomes all the more important.

Barton’s net rating last season was just 0.6 last season rather than the 2.1 that it was the previous year. It was also the lowest amount of fast break points that he had averaged since 2014-15 when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers. Whether it was the injury or something else, he just wasn’t playing up to his level that we had come to expect.

Grant or Torrey Craig should be the starter at small forward next season, especially with Michael Porter Jr. still struggling with a knee injury that has kept him out of Summer League thus far. They’ll bring a defensive toughness to the starting unit, and Grant is an excellent shooter, as he averaged 39.2 percent from 3-point range last season. That pushes Barton to the bench where his offensive acumen can shine.

He would be the primary offensive threat, but, with the depth the Nuggets have, he wouldn’t be the only one. This gives him better matchups against lesser players with more opportunities. Barton may end up in the closing lineups, and, if he’s feeling hot, he could get more minutes than Craig, Grant or whoever ends up starting at the small forward spot. The bottom line though is that he’d make the most sense coming off of the bench in 2019.