Will Barton says he feels more in control

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Will Barton’s nickname is “The Thrill,” as he can come up with tantalizing plays that can cause a crowd to “ooh” and “aah.”

The flipside of those thrills were errant passes, collisions and Barton trying to do too much on the court.

Barton said he knew going into the summer he didn’t have to just improve his bad three-point shooting percentage–13 percent–but also pick his spots better.

“You can see, not really turning the ball over. Not missing my shots. Making plays. Just trying to play less wild,” Barton said.

Although one can never put too much stock into the preseason, Barton’s efficiency and relative lack of bad plays has been encouraging.

Through two games Barton is 8-for-11 from the field including 2-3 from three. Barton’s had two turnovers through the first two games and had zero tonight

With the injury to CJ McCollum and Allen Crabbe stepping up with 14 points and showing polish with his jumper, being more efficient is a must for Barton.

Barton knew that the wild plays and the fact that teams would welcome him to shoot jumpers last year couldn’t last. He was his biggest critic.

“I stressed to myself. I watched film with myself. I don’t really need anybody telling me what to do,” he says. “I take onus into my own game. I don’t need anybody to tell me, I know. I played the whole season, I knew my weaknesses and flaws and that was a big thing I was targeting this summer. Working on my shot, knocking down that three-ball down. Like I said, I feel like when I’m hitting that it’s going to be a long night for anyone defending me. So I’m really, really trying to knock down those open shots.”