ESPN recently unveiled its tracking of Real Plus-Minus for the 2019-20 season, revealing which players have had the most profound impacts on their respective teams.
The statistic, which debuted on ESPN.com’s NBA page in April of 2014, attempts to properly evaluate each player by “combining what we can glean from the box score with how teams perform with and without a player on the court. Now, it also factors in tracking data generated by Second Spectrum's cameras in NBA arenas,” as Kevin Pelton of ESPN explains.
Fast forward to the roll out of the Real Plus-Minus for the 2019-20 season and two Nuggets players crack the top 10 in overall RPM. Will Barton III currently ranks seventh in the league with an RPM of +4.76, which is fueled by his impressive defensive impact, as his +4.63 Defensive Real Plus-Minus (DRPM) tops the league.
Meanwhile, teammate Paul Millsap isn’t far behind, ranking ninth in RPM at +4.03. Once again, it is the veteran’s defense that is fueling his overall impact, as he ranks seventh in the league in DRPM at +3.75.
The two veteran forwards have certainly been two of, if not the most important players for the Nuggets this season, as their play on the defensive end has anchored Denver’s third-ranked defense. On the offensive end of the floor, Denver’s veteran forwards have been elite 3-point shooters this season and complimentary pieces on offense.