Denver Nuggets need a healthy and effective Will Barton

As mentioned before, Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. were the Nuggets two best offensive weapons in Game 1, as they scored a combined 59 points, but nobody else really stepped up and played at a higher, playoff-level. 

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Aaron Gordon had a decent game, scoring 16 points on 7-16 shooting, but nobody else really has the pure scoring abilities that Jokic and Porter Jr. do. Given all of the weapons Portland has, they are not likely to slow down offensively, which is why Denver really needs Will Barton healthy again. 

He did not play in Game 1 and has not played since April 23 due to a hamstring injury, but without him and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets are missing a huge chunk of production on the offensive-end of the court. Not to mention, Will Barton was a great perimeter defender during the regular season and could definitely aid the Nuggets on that end of the court against the Blazers in this series. 

Giving up 120+ points to Portland is not ideal, especially since that would mean that Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are knocking down shots, but giving up that many points and not being at full strength is not a good formula for the Nuggets to be successful in this series. 

Will Barton’s return at some point in this series is questionable and even if he returns, he may not be at 100%. If he can return and be effective on the court, this could shift the balance of the series in favor of the Nuggets.