The Denver Nuggets will have to continue to make do with Will Barton.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Denver Nuggets swingman Will Barton is “unlikely” to return to the Nuggets in their Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Nuggets swingman Will Barton (knee) is unlikely to return during the Western Conference Finals series against the Lakers, sources said. Barton, who has not played during the NBA’s restarted season, is continuing to rehabilitate a knee injury."
Barton, who played in just one of the Denver’s pre-seeding game scrimmages (on July 27), has been out of the NBA bubble since mid-August. Originally seeking a second opinion on his lingering knee issue (he missed four games prior to the All-Star Break with knee inflammation), there was hope that he could return to the Nuggets’ series against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Although the length of time that Barton has been out brings to question how much Denver could have gotten from him this series and the role he would have played, there’s no doubt that the threat of his playmaking would make the Nuggets more dangerous as a team.
Denver Nuggets
For instance, in Game 2, it could have been Barton on the court instead of P.J. Dozier in those important fourth quarter moments. Like Dozier, Barton is able to break down the defense off-the-dribble. He and Dozier are also similarly sized, and Barton could have used his combination of length, athleticism and ability to get over screens to be just as impactful as P.J. was offensively.
Most importantly, he’s unlikely to have missed four crucial and necessary free-throws at the end of the game. Something he also did in the Nuggets’ seeding game against the Lakers, which the team also lost on a game-winner.
Not only is Barton’s career free-throw percentage (78.6) is higher than Dozier’s (71.0%) but because he’s much more experienced than Dozier, having played in 459 more regular season games and twice as many playoff games (21 for Barton, 10 for Dozier).
In the end, the minutes played by Dozier were a wash, as he made solid plays in Game 2 but didn’t capitalize at the charity stripe when they needed them most. For whatever reason, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone stuck with him instead of playing a more experienced player or reliable shooter.
Unfortunately, it’s looking like Barton won’t be able aid Denver with his experience, ability to get to the rim, or defensive play in this series.
If the Nuggets manage to earn a NBA Finals berth, perhaps it’s possible that Will the Thrill returns then.