It was only a few games ago that Will Barton was in a slump. He was struggling to adapt to being a part-time point guard and initiating the offense, his shot was off, and his aggression was down. Then coach Michael Malone had a few words for his bench ignitor and Barton was off and running again.
Tonight was a career-high in points for him with 35, and Malone only played him for two stretches: one that lasted for 17+ minutes and one for 18+. He said after the game it’s tough to get Barton out when he’s playing well, but does Barton get tired?
Will Barton: baller. Sounds about right. He certainly was last night, and it’s great to have him back as the bench ignitor, while learning how to play with passing centers. As Hastings and Marlowe discussed last night, there’s an adjustment to Will’s game: he has to learn how to do what he has always done while adding “a bit of Gary Harris” to his game to better work with the team’s revised offense.
Now that he seems more comfortable with that, Will the Thrill is truly back. Enjoy!
