The Nuggets seems to have found a gem in Will Barton. His efficiency this season is 33rd in the NBA, higher than Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love.
Barton is 1 of 3 players with fewer than 10 starts who has an efficiency at least 33% above the league average player (Enes Kanter, Nikola Jokic).
Barton was traded from the Blazers to the Nuggets at last season’s trade deadline in the Arron Afflalo deal.
His efficiency increased 92% after the trade. His numbers went up across the board. He went from playing 10.0 minutes per game in Portland to 24.4 in Denver.
This season, Barton is continuing to trend upward. He is averaging career highs in effective field goal percentage, rebound percentage and assist percentage. Offensively, his efficiency has increased 22%.
He is among the elite spot up shooters in the league – 63% effective field goal percentage on catch-and-shoots. His ability to dribble-drive and finish in the paint has landed him among the top-15 guards in points in the paint per game.
Defensively, Barton is 2% less efficient than last season.
Peter Newmann is an analyst and writer who spent 10 years at ESPN, 8 as the NBA senior researcher working 24/7 on the league. He wrote game notes for crews, articles for ESPN.com, analysis for studio shows, and regularly assisted reporters and writers. Follow him on Twitter, and check out his Web site, www.allball365.com.