The Denver Nuggets enter their 2021-22 campaign with heightened expectations to achieve another deep playoff run. Nikola Jokic is coming off his phenomenal MVP season wherein he tallied 26.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG and 8.3 APG. However, the Nuggets are missing the services of star point guard Jamal Murray as he continues to recover from an ACL injury and Michael Porter Jr. is off to an atrocious start in the season as his points and field goal percentage have drastically dropped from the previous year.

Porter Jr. was one of the leading candidates to elevate his game to another level and possibly claim the coveted Most Improved Player of the Year award. The Nuggets are just off to a .500 start in their first eight games, but the struggling players from Denver still have over 70 games to try and regain their confidence and put them in a position to contend for one of the top spots in the highly competitive Western Conference.

Despite these issues surrounding the franchise, there has been one pleasant surprise that the others may emulate which is the commendable performance of starting shooting guard Will Barton.

Barton had an abysmal performance last year as Denver missed his production in the playoffs wherein they lacked a consistent scorer that could create his own shot. Even with the prior injury concerns, he has been healthy through the first eight matches as his scoring average has increased to 15.3 PPG and his field goal percentage is at a career-high at 47.6%.

With a struggling Porter Jr. and a sidelined Murray, Barton has been the individual that has complemented Jokic to lead the charge for the Nuggets so far. Moreover, Barton is recording a career-best 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game as his defensive prowess will be important because their guard rotation is undersized compared to other organizations. In the offseason, he declined his player option to sign a new two-year deal with the Nuggets as he plans to stay with his squad for another couple of years.

As head coach Michael Malone continues to search for role players to continue producing consistently, Barton must increase his awareness of involving his teammates as well. The lack of a true floor general in their roster in the absence of Murray magnifies the necessity of Barton to continue moving the ball throughout the game. Jokic is still the primary playmaker of the team, but being a secondary ball handler in Malone's will prove to be an integral facet in their success in the duration of the season.

Barton has scored over 20 points for three game already this season, punctuated by his 26 markers in a close loss to the Memphis Grizzlies last Wednesday night. Even if the Nuggets are having trouble manufacturing constant offense every game, Barton is the catalyst that could create for others and himself as well.

As Denver aims to elevate their position in the standings, this will be the perfect juncture this season as their next five games will be at home. Jokic is expected to lead the charge, but it will be Barton's ability to continue his tremendous performances that will prove to be the x-factor for the Nuggets.