Utah Jazz report card: Who are Utah’s top performers at the 50-game mark?
By Tyler Thorpe
Overall GPA: 2.38 (C-plus)
I might be higher on Alec Burks than most.
Burks’ minutes have become more sporadic as of late with the emergence of rookie Royce O’Neale. Despite his inconsistent role, he remains ready night in and night out when called upon.
While Burks had back to back 15-plus point performances over this stretch, his effort is still what impresses me the most about him.
Alec has proven to be an excellent rebounder and might be Utah’s best option in drawing fouls and getting to the line. Despite the high energy and ability to penetrate, Burks MUST improve his finishing and 3-point shooting.
Burks shot just 21 percent from three in January. This was the fourth straight month that Burks’ percentage from deep has dropped significantly.
If he can become more consistent in those two areas, and I believe he still can, Burks will become a viable rotation piece off Utah’s bench to provide instant scoring and energy.