Denver Nuggets: 3 takeaways from crushing Game 3 loss vs. Spurs

3. Malik Beasley should be playing over Will Barton

In the playoffs, Will Barton is shooting 29.0 percent from the floor, and he’s shooting an even poorer mark from 3-point range at just 7.7 percent. His confidence is still there, as he’s still shooting, but he’s not hitting shots. He also doesn’t defend at a level that allows you to keep him on the floor despite his offensive limitations. Beasley, on the other hand, is playing some of the best basketball on a nightly basis for the team.

He’s knocking down 52.0 percent of his shots, and his 66.7 percent mark from 3-point range is absolutely crazy. Beasley is similar to Barton in the way that they play, but, with his offense rolling, he makes a clear case for why he should be on the floor over Barton. The Spurs are getting more or less whatever they want on the offensive end, and the Nuggets need to give themselves every opportunity to remain competitive.

It’s possible that Barton being relegated to the bench would hurt his confidence and scare him away from shooting the ball. It is also possible that this change would help out the starters and the bench. They could inject another creator onto the second unit, and they would have another shooter to space the floor. The bottom line is, even if Beasley isn’t starting, he should be playing significantly more minutes than Barton.