The Denver Nuggets might soon get a much-needed reinforcement back. The team's reliable 3-and-D player Will Barton is reportedly considering returning in the Denver's ongoing West semis clash against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 6-foot-5 swingman entered the Orlando bubble with his team back in July, but was sidelined for the most part due to lingering knee soreness.
Per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Barton is currently in Miami doing rehab and assessing his status.
My @NBAonTNT report on Denver Nuggets swingman Will Barton not ruling out a return this series while rehabbing in Miami and undergoing daily COVID-19 testing. pic.twitter.com/jdKScd0Sjr
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 8, 2020
Will Barton played for 18 minutes in Denver's scrimmage against the Orlando Magic upon the resumption of the season, but has been a no-show ever since.
The Nuggets struggled in the bubble without their vocal leader and was on the brink of elimination in the first-round of the playoffs against the 6th seeded Utah Jazz.
Denver still had guys like Michael Porter Jr. and Torrey Craig to take Barton's place, but it was apparent that the team was greatly missing his presence on both ends of the court.
Without their two best defenders in Barton and Gary Harris, the Nuggets went down 3-1 against the Jazz. The return of Harris in Games 6 and 7 gave Denver a huge boost, as they managed to advance to the second round.
Denver is currently in a predicament against a Clippers team filled with great scorers at the wing position. Barton's return will indeed give them greater chances of upsetting the West's 2nd-seed.
Barton is considered one of the most durable players for Denver, missing just 21 games over his first three full seasons at the Mile High City.
In 58 regular season games, Barton notched 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals for head coach Mike Malone. He also shot career-highs of 45 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from downtown.
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