The List: The best version of Will Barton

“The List” is a brand new series that serves as a companion piece for the “Notebook” episodes of the Locked on Nuggets podcast and the DNVR Nuggets podcast. In this edition, I share some notes on the win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday as part of a companion piece to the latest episode of the DNVR Nuggets Podcast.

1. It appears that Michael Malone is at least considering Torrey Craig as the starter at small forward. He started last night in what, as Harrison Wind explains, felt like a dress rehearsal for next week’s season opener.

The problem’s with Craig alongside Paul Millsap in Denver’s free-flowing style of offense that we at DNVR like to call “Jokic-ball” is that defenses tend to ignore Craig on the perimeter and can help a bit further off of Millsap when those two are on the same side of the court.

2. Another example of Millsap and Craig on the same side of the court and it causing congestion in the paint.

3. Not to beat a dead horse, but here is one more example. These examples are not hard to find in any given game with Craig in the starting lineup.

4. Craig’s value on offense comes primarily from offensive rebounding and cutting. In the clip below, Craig demonstrates the perfect timing on cuts off of a post up.

5. This was one of my favorite clips from the game and it perfectly illustrates a) how teams like to run the same set multiple times while hunting for different reads on each play, and b) how valuable Jerami Grant can be on the offensive end.

6. Back to back plays that show different types of cuts out of the “corner option,” or “C,” which is one of the more common sets in the NBA.

7. Barton was locked in defensively a lot more than he was in previous preseason games. Perhaps the hamstring is feeling better? Or maybe he is just working harder now that his starting spot appears to be going toward Craig?

8. Another good example of Barton’s attention to detail on the defensive end.

9. Good and bad examples of helping early on the roll.

10. When Barton is patient and focused on maximizing each possession he is a real asset to the team and a key piece to what makes the Nuggets so dynamic on offense.

11. A bit of comedy to send you off into the weekend (although I doubt Michael Malone finds this clip as funny as I do).