The List: Will Barton has a lot of tricks up his sleeve

“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 ugly win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday.

1. Back when he played two different stints for the Wellington Saints in the Australian league, Torrey Craig averaged over 20 points per game and led his team in scoring. He’s not a talented scorer by NBA standards, but he’s far from the avoid at all costs option that he is treated as at certain times in the Denver Nuggets offense. In the clip below, he comes off of a pindown dribble handoff (DHO), takes one dribble and then makes the easy pass to Jerami Grant for a three.

The Nuggets could probably trust Craig to make basic reads a lot more often, especially when he shares the court with Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap. Part of what sinks Denver’s offense with Jokic and Craig on the court is that they avoid involving him at all and it cuts the court in half. Denver has a flow offense and it’s probably best to involve everyone, even the weakest links, rather than limit that flow offense to just three or four of the players on the court.

2. Jokic makes one pass per game that makes you want to rewind the tape. This one ended in Jamal Murray getting fouled so it won’t make the highlight reel but just look at the speed, timing, and angle Jokic uses to deliver this gem.

3. One of the questions surrounding Paul Millsap was whether or not he would lose a step now that he is in his age 34 season. Last night he showed that he can still switch out onto crafty scoring wings and keep up.

4. Footwork, timing, and reads in the pick and roll (PnR) have formed one of the themes of the early part of this series. Here you get a great example of Will Barton using some subtle tricks to first read the rim protector and then to attack the basket when that defender fails to step up. In real time, this is an incredibly quick read to make but Barton uses great footwork and technique to set himself up to make the read.

5. Jamal Murray is a master of the little tricks to basketball. Here he does a great job of setting a “hammer” screen, or flare screen for the corner shooter opposite the basketball, but the screen turns into a decoy as Murray slips toward the basket at the perfect moment.

Hubie Brown once said that the goal of a screen is to make the defense think. Murray’s screen causes a quick mix up for the defense as they are uncertain whether they need to switch or not. Murray flashes and Jokic finds him with perfect timing. These types of weak side screen and slip action are so deadly when you are playing alongside Jokic, a player who will always find you on the slip.

6. In the video I mixed up Monte Morris with Malik Beasley, which is a shame since Morris has always been a smart defender and Beasley is still working toward that end. None the less, watch the perfect rotation by Torrey Criag and the even more perfect rotations by Morris and Jerami Grant to cover the skip pass. With no good options, the rolling big man is forced to battle with Craig on the catch. Advantage: Craig.