RealGM

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22778687/zach-lowe-10-things-like-including-kyrie-irving-nba

5. Trey Burke, thirsty for 2s
Kudos to Trey Burke for making some changes and reclaiming his place in the league. It feels a little icky to nitpick his shot profile.

But, my god, does this dude love long 2-pointers. Almost half his shots have come from the extended midrange, a share that lands Burke in the 99th percentile among all point guards, per Cleaning The Glass. He has hit 55 percent of them so far -- well beyond typical Dirk Nowitzki/Chris Paul territory. Burke has been solid from the midrange in the past -- around 41 percent for his career -- but this season's number is unsustainable.

Burke has been thirsty since the New York Knicks called him up from the G-League. He's launching 18.5 shots per 36 minutes. That would rank 19th among all rotation players, tied with LeBron James. The guys ahead of him are either stars, wannabe stars on terrible teams, or Marreese Speights.

Maybe it doesn't matter. The Knicks without Kristaps Porzingis are awful. Someone has to shoot. It might as well be Burke (or Michael Beasley). There is value in a backup point guard who can generate decent looks almost on his own for bench units bereft of shot creators. Someone has to pass, too, and Burke is dishing 7.7 dimes per 36 minutes.

But Burke's game is a little out of balance. He has earned a shot as backup -- the Knicks have him on a nonguaranteed deal next season -- and with that done, Burke doesn't have to monopolize the offense. Maybe give Frank Ntilikina a few more turns? Try more pull-up 3s, grind on defense, venture farther into the lane.

Capn'O wrote:The above is why most view him as a bench/microwave player in the big picture. He can come in and hurt teams in a hurry but you can't rely on that long term from a starter.

Capn'O wrote:The above is why most view him as a bench/microwave player in the big picture. He can come in and hurt teams in a hurry but you can't rely on that long term from a starter.

Sark wrote:Zach Lowe just made Red Vines' sht list.

Clyde_Style wrote:

Capn'O wrote:The above is why most view him as a bench/microwave player in the big picture. He can come in and hurt teams in a hurry but you can't rely on that long term from a starter.

That is exactly how I see him. And that has value, but he is not a starting PG on a contender. He has been a good find. If they keep picking up guys like this and Troy, they can have a legit second unit by the time there is a quality starting line-up, so its definitely a sign of some kind of plan.

Now if Mudiay becomes sensational I will definitely eat more hats, preferably ones made of tofu, but I still believe in Frank as our future PG.

GONYK wrote:

Clyde_Style wrote:

Capn'O wrote:The above is why most view him as a bench/microwave player in the big picture. He can come in and hurt teams in a hurry but you can't rely on that long term from a starter.

That is exactly how I see him. And that has value, but he is not a starting PG on a contender. He has been a good find. If they keep picking up guys like this and Troy, they can have a legit second unit by the time there is a quality starting line-up, so its definitely a sign of some kind of plan.

Now if Mudiay becomes sensational I will definitely eat more hats, preferably ones made of tofu, but I still believe in Frank as our future PG.

He has been good in the backup role so far this season for sure, but I watch him through the lens of "what if the shots weren't falling?", because as Lowe pointed out, the current rate he's hitting his shots is unsustainable.

My main issue with Burke is that once he gets the ball, it never moves from his side of the court. A typical possession with him is dribbling around for 10-15 seconds until he can free himself up for jumper, or make the direct pass to the screener. He doesn't swing the ball, he doesn't really look for shooters. He plays for his own shot.

I do think he has certainly solidified that he belongs in the league, but I don't see a PG you can slot in your starting lineup and trust to execute the offense efficiently or defend the position. The role he's in is pretty perfect for him.

Sark wrote:Zach Lowe just made Red Vines' sht list.

GONYK wrote:

Clyde_Style wrote:

Capn'O wrote:The above is why most view him as a bench/microwave player in the big picture. He can come in and hurt teams in a hurry but you can't rely on that long term from a starter.

That is exactly how I see him. And that has value, but he is not a starting PG on a contender. He has been a good find. If they keep picking up guys like this and Troy, they can have a legit second unit by the time there is a quality starting line-up, so its definitely a sign of some kind of plan.

Now if Mudiay becomes sensational I will definitely eat more hats, preferably ones made of tofu, but I still believe in Frank as our future PG.

He has been good in the backup role so far this season for sure, but I watch him through the lens of "what if the shots weren't falling?", because as Lowe pointed out, the current rate he's hitting his shots is unsustainable.

My main issue with Burke is that once he gets the ball, it never moves from his side of the court. A typical possession with him is dribbling around for 10-15 seconds until he can free himself up for jumper, or make the direct pass to the screener. He doesn't swing the ball, he doesn't really look for shooters. He plays for his own shot.

I do think he has certainly solidified that he belongs in the league, but I don't see a PG you can slot in your starting lineup and trust to execute the offense efficiently or defend the position. The role he's in is pretty perfect for him.

Capn'O wrote:The above is why most view him as a bench/microwave player in the big picture. He can come in and hurt teams in a hurry but you can't rely on that long term from a starter.