Denver Nuggets: Here’s why starting Will Barton is a mistake

Although Denver Nuggets’ forward Will Barton is a strong contributor, he isn’t a good fit with the starting lineup for multiple reasons.

Life can be unfair for Denver Nuggets‘ swingman Will Barton, who is unjustly despised by some Nuggets fans, the peak of this coming throughout the boos he received in Denver’s Game 2 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Sure, Barton can be erratic at times, as everything down to his “Thrill” nickname symbolizes wild bursts of stardom followed by icy stretches. Throughout the ups and downs, however, Barton provides heart, loyalty and an overall net effectiveness on the court.

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He took less money than was offered by the Indiana Pacers to ink a 4-year extension with the Nuggets last summer, simply because he believes in the present path of the Mile High squad.

Remember Denver’s exciting 95-92 win against the Memphis Grizzlies in January, as they overcame a ridiculous 25-point deficit on the road? Where was Barton in this?

Nowhere other than front and center, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets pieced together an infamous story of togetherness, resilience and perseverance.

Barton arrived in 2015, and since then has proven himself undeniably talented. Teammates love him, and he’s done right by the organization during an era in which many stars move to New York or Los Angeles.

Which is why he should never start another game for the Nuggets.

If the organization does right by Barton, they’ll place him in his best position for success, which is away from stars Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, each of who have priority in the offense.

On the other side of the coin, Denver should maximize the value of its asset, moving Barton back to the bench where “Thrill” can be “Thrill”, the swaggy playmaker who’s never afraid to attack.

Barton isn’t a guy who sits in the corner, rather he’s a playmaker, a protagonist who’s capable of entering the game and turning a one-point lead into a double-digit cushion.

Last year, Barton missed 39 games with injury, a factor many blame for his underwhelming 11.5 points per game. What’s overlooked by some, however, is the full reason his return was so ugly.

Sure, he never regathered himself physically after the core injury, a factor that hopefully resolves itself this offseason. But for the first time in recent years, Barton was asked to be a spot-up shooter, a fifth scorer in which most of his time was spent off-ball.

This isn’t where Barton thrives, as his outside shooting is better described as streaky than regular. He should be leading the second unit, sharing playmaking duties with Monte Morris and dominating bench defenders.

In 2017-18, Barton averaged 15.7 points per game, as he led the way for Denver’s reserves. He had the ball in his hands often, and averaged 4.1 assists per contest as a result.

And defensively, he wasn’t forced to guard bigger guys on the nightly, which leads us to another aspect.

Denver was bullied by the larger wings of the league last season, as Barton’s slight 6’5” frame couldn’t measure up. Kevin Durant shot 69.8 percent in his past three games against Denver, for example.

The Nuggets have a small forward problem, to which the solution is simple: Start combo forward Jerami Grant, a 6’9” defensive freak who’s also an effective spot-up shooter. Meanwhile, bring Barton off the bench to boost the offense.

If this doesn’t suit the coaching staff, start stopper Torrey Craig instead and pray that he works on his 3-point shot.

Because Barton is too great a talent to be banished to the corner, even though Jokic and company deserve the ball. Staggering Barton with the bench gets every core member the shots they deserve.

Additionally, it’s painful to watch Barton guard starting small forwards, as 190 lbs doesn’t fill the 3-spot in today’s mismatch-oriented game.

Barton is a huge part of this Nuggets team, and can be expected to rise again once he’s back with the bench. Do what’s best for Barton, Coach Malone. Demote him.