The Trey Burke Bench Effect

Nov 7, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz players (left to right) Joe Ingles and Trey Burke and Derrick Favors and Trevor Booker watch from the bench during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at EnergySolutions Arena. Dallas won 105-82. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

When Dante Exum was inserted into the staring lineup four games ago I worried there might be an adverse effect on Derrick Favors’ game due the move. Through four games, the numbers show rather drastic ramifications via the Trey Burke bench effect.

"Favors has had a solid month, posting four 20/10 games in a five-game stretch, averaging 17 points on 54% field goals and 9.4 rebounds. Without Burke feeding him in the post his numbers could take a huge hit.Exum is a little tentative still, hesitant to drive the paint, preferring to spot up on the perimeter. There’s a strong possibility we see the ball stop more often as Favors is forced to try and create his own shot in the post, if Snyder stays with Dante in the starting lineup.–The J Notes"

For the season Favors is averaging 15.7 points per game on 54.4% field goals, among the NBA’s leaders in field goal percentage. Since Trey Burke was moved to the bench Favors’ points per game have dropped to 13.3 on a dismal 48.5% field goals.

Since being inserted into the starting lineup, Exum’s assist percentage has stayed steady, 17.2% for the season, 17.1% since the inclusion with the Utah Jazz starters. But Exum has still failed to find the Jazz’s most consistent frontcourt performer.

In the previous 279 minutes on the floor together, as noted in the recent article — link above — Exum had assisted Favors only five times. In the subsequent 57 minutes on the floor together, with Exum starting with Favors in three games since, the Jazz’s Aussie point guard has found Favors only a single time for a made bucket resulting in a credited assist.

It seems almost impossible that Dante Exum, as the Jazz’s starting point guard, could find Derrick Favors even less than he did before. Yet that’s what is happening, albeit it by a slight margin. But it being only slightly less is beside the point entirely. It’s the polar opposite of what should be happening.

This is a clear case of an attempt to take two steps forward understanding that you’d take one step back. Only the reality of the maneuver has been three steps back

The Trey Burke bench effect is a real thing, and Favors is suffering for it.

On the season, Burke’s assist percentage is 24.3%, according to NBA.com Stats, tops on the Jazz. Since being charged with the role of bench scorer for Snyder, Trey Burke’s assists percentage has plummeted to a paltry 9.7%. That would be barely better than Elijah Millsap and Derrick Favors. From your former starting point guard.

This is a clear case of an attempt to take two steps forward understanding that you’d take one step back. Only the reality of the maneuver has been three steps back.

Since losing Trey Burke as the primary ball handler, Favors’ effectiveness where he’s the most effective has been neutered. Snip snip.

Favors has been made to create his own shots, not his game. He’s not Al Jefferson, and frankly, you don’t want him to have to be.

On the season, Favors has been assisted on 67% of his field goals and 64% inside the restricted area. This is what you want him doing: rolling to the basket and finishing or drawing the defense and dishing off. Since Trey Burke was benched, Favors has been assisted on only 44% of his field goals and less than 42% in the restricted area.

Defenses can handle a Derrick Favors that has to dribble his way down and create a shot far more easily than a Derrick Favors flashing to the rim, receiving the ball on the way, where he can take full advantage of his physical tools.

Before the Trey Burke bench effect, Derrick Favors found himself creating unassisted shots only 36% of the time. Since Dante Exum took over that number has skyrocketed to 58.3% of the time that Favors has try and make something from nothing. This is a gross mishandling of Favors and his game. He’s good, but not that good at this type of basketball, and likely never will be.

Since Exum took over as the Jazz’s starting point, Derrick Favors has been assisted a total of one time by Exum, one time by Burke and one time by Gordon Hayward

And this while still taking the same amount of shots per game as he was before, only now they’re far more difficult for Favors to convert than when he had a point guard that plays like one.

Favors isn’t an isolation post player, and while he’ll continue to develop that part of his game to use situationally, he’s unlikely to ever lean on it as his primary scoring move. Frankly, do you want him to? Aren’t the Jazz slow-paced enough already without an entry pass to the low post that rarely comes back out?

Since Exum took over as the Jazz’s starting point, commissioning Trey Burke as a primary bench scoring threat, Derrick Favors has been assisted a total of one time by Exum, one time by Burke and one time by Gordon Hayward. Joe Ingles has dished more dimes to Favors by himself than the other three Jazz players combined, four, bringing the grand total to seven.

Favors should be getting seven assists from teammates for baskets a game as the Jazz’s only consistent front-court threat.