After being bombarded with injuries over the last several years, Alec Burks has become an underrated piece to the Utah Jazz.
Did Alec Burks look nervously over his shoulder when the Utah Jazz selected Grayson Allen in the 2018 NBA Draft? Probably. Should he be worried about the rookie from Duke taking his spot in the rotation from day one? No.
If the 2018 NBA Playoffs didn’t show you how valuable Burks can be to the Jazz, I can’t walk away with the impression that you watched the games. Burks was extremely important during the postseason, specifically when Ricky Rubio was held out due to hamstring troubles.
Burks averaged 9.1 points per game during the postseason, despite only playing 13.3 minutes per contest. He’s a walking bucket. The offense can get a bit stagnant if the ball is stuck in Burks’ hands, but at least you have the comfort of knowing he can go and make a play on his own.
During the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets, AB averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Burks shot 45 percent overall on 3-pointers, too.
During the regular season, Burks struggled to ensconce himself as a consistent piece to the rotation. He had his ups and downs, like every human does. His ups were pretty high, though. Especially during the month of December. Remember, December was an absolutely brutal stretch scheduling wise for the Jazz. They played Oklahoma City three times, Cleveland two times, Houston two times and Golden State, San Antonio and Boston one time each.
Burks’ play during that month wasn’t talked about enough. If the Jazz lost a few of the games Burks starred in, the season would’ve ended totally different for them. We may never have gotten to see Donovan Mitchell play like an All-Star in his first ever playoffs experience. He averaged 11.5 points per game and had three 20-point games during December, including a 27-point outburst in a dominant win over the Washington Wizards.
Allen is entering the league NBA-ready, having been groomed for four years at Duke. He’s not going to be physically overpowered much. He’ll learn the ropes. However, Mitchell also entered the league NBA-ready. Overshadowed by his brilliant rookie season was his dreadful start to the year.
Mitchell is human, and had to adjust to the NBA, just as Allen will. Mitchell opened his rookie campaign making just 13 of his first 52 field goals.
I know a lot of fans are excited about Grayson Allen. Rightfully so, I think he’s going to be a good player and a significant role player to a contending team. However, I think it’s important we don’t lose sight of Alec Burks. If it weren’t for injuries, Burks could have been a full-time starter for years now. He’s a gifted offensive player and if I’m Quin Snyder, I’m certainly opening the season with Burks ahead of Allen on the depth chart.