Barton flashing versatility

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest Division

WLWill Barton’s offseason workout regimen gives a glimpse into how he’s developed his bevy of skills.

While running at “game speed” in his hometown of Baltimore, Barton will shift quickly from spot shooting, to driving and finishing at the rim, to kicking passes out to the perimeter.

“Even my workouts are versatile,” Barton said with a grin, “just so I can be ready to be thrown ( into whatever situation) comes my way.”

This is the business side of the man they call “Thrill,” whowalks into the Denver Nuggets locker room with supreme confidence and walks out donning flashy designer outfits.

Through Denver’s first 14 games, Barton has started twice in place of off- guard Gary Harris, served as the de facto point guard and successfully guarded an allstar down the stretch of the Nuggets’ biggest win. He’s likely to return to his most valuable role in Friday’s home contest against NewOrleans, giving the Nuggets’ bench “pop” after that group got blasted in Monday’s loss at Portland.

“I want to be able to do it all,” Barton said. “When coach asks me to fill a position, I want to be able to do it.”

Barton is Denver’s third- leading scorer at 14.9 points per game, and is adding 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from behind the 3point line.

These days, nothing surprises coaches and teammates about Barton’s offensive repertoire. He attacks the basket with ease and can knock down open shots off the catch. But now he’s aiming to develop as a playmakerwhen occasionally taking on the primary ball- handling duties behind — and sometimes, alongside — young point guards Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay.

Barton is learning to recognize when to calmly get the offense into a half- court set after an opponent makes a push, or when to chat with teammates about how to get them more involved. Coach Michael Malone added that Barton most needs to improve his on- court vision and timing, such as looking to fire a quick pass to star center Nikola Jokic if Barton draws multiple defenders with a drive.

“Will gets a little bit deeper and deeper and deeper ( in the paint),” Malone said. “Nowyou get yourself into trouble, and now maybe Nikola is not as open as he was initially. The more he’s in those situations, I think the more comfortable he’s going to get.”

But Malone is most pleased with Barton’s improved defense, highlighting the way he limited Oklahoma City star Paul George to one shot attempt in the fourth quarter of Denver’s victory last week. Barton said he’s gained a better understanding ofwhere he should be on the floor within Denver’s coverages. But he and Malone agree that an increased mental commitment has been the biggest key.

“I don’t know if Will Barton loves to defend,” Malone said. “But he likes it a lot more than he did last year.”

Malone believes Barton has the potential to average 16 points, six rebounds and five assists per night. If he does that, it would likely make him a frontrunner for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.

The coach also believes Barton will still be “hooping” in Baltimore gyms when he’s 50. And likely still trying to hone a versatile skill set.

“I don’t just try to work on one aspect,” Barton said. “I try to come back and be better at my all- around game.”

NEW ORLEANS AT DENVER

8: 30 p. m. Friday; ESPN, ALT; 950 AM

Spotlight on DeMarcus Cousins:

Nuggets coach Michael Malone had the highest praise for the big man he used to coach in Sacramento, saying Cousins “might be the most talented player in the NBA.” Cousins entered Thursday ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring ( 28 points per game) and second in rebounding ( 13.7 per game) while adding 5.7 assists per contest. He’s also shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from behind the 3- point line, helping him rank third in the NBA in efficiency behind Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Cleveland’s LeBron James entering Thursday. Malone has most noticed Cousins’ evolution on the defensive end, as he’s averaging 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game for a Pelicans team that entered Thursday ranked seventh in the league with a rating of 35.6.