What the Knicks are Getting with Trey Burke
The Knicks are adding new depth to their point guard lineup
The New York Knicks officially announced yesterday that they have waived reserve guard Ramon Sessions.
This means the Knicks finally have the roster space to sign Westchester Knicks point guard Trey Burke.
Burke, who is currently averaging 26.6 points, 5.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 41.8 percent 3-point shooting, was a former lottery pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Drafted by the Utah Jazz, he has struggled to find a consistent career due to injuries, changes in the culture, and lack of growth in his game. He was traded to the Washington Wizards and served as John Wall’s backup. However, his minutes were usurped by former Knicks point guard Brandon Jennings and barely got playing time come the post season. He had offers to join the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder but elected to play in the NBA G-League as a chance to refine his game and possibly join his former Michigan Wolverine teammate Tim Hardaway Jr.
He now has his chance to find a niche in the NBA again.
So what can Burke do to help the Knicks now that he’s part of the main unit?
1.) An additional playmaker
Although Jarrett Jack has done a solid job as the lead guard for the team, he doesn’t penetrate defenses to create space for his teammates nor does he have a consistent outside shot.
Burke, on the other hand, can do those things.
“He’s a guy who can penetrate and create things that way,” Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek said to reporters in October during training camp. “He can set up the offense and break guys down. He’s a good shooter when he gets a good look. And he’s been around the league. He can play.”
Burke adds value when comes to shooting from the distance. He was 23-of-58 (39.7 percent) on non-corner three-pointers last season, which ranked in the top 10 among guards with as many attempts in the Eastern Conference.
He’s most lethal when scoring from the midrange. He’s averaging 25.3 percent of his points come mid-range. He can get into the teeth of the defense by moving quickly for a layup or changing the play on a dime and passing the ball for a quick assist. The Knicks are in dire need of a point guard who can slash through opposing teams and get to the rim.
2.) Expect a faster team when he’s on the floor
Much like his former Wolverine teammate, Burke likes to run and push the pace of game.
Knicks rank 29th in Fastbreak efficiency according to Team Rankings. The team has a habit of playing half-court sets and without someone to lead a fastbreak it makes it difficult to score in transition.
Burke can go off when given the green light. The team will definitely have young, fresh legs who can look to score at will and allow defenders to focus on him while creating looks for his teammates.
3.) A duo threat
This isn’t simply in reference to him playing alongside Tim Hardaway Jr. again. It also references him playing with the other guards on the team, particularly Frank Ntilikina.
Ntilikina, a 6'5" point guard with a 7'0" wingspan, is arguably the team’s best defensive guard. However, he’s still only 19 years old and is still learning how to play in the NBA. He also struggles on creating his own shot. Having him playing alongside Burke can ease those struggles.
“He’s not a great overall defender, and similar to THJ, that likely won’t be able to be improved upon,” said James Woodruff in an article at the Knicks Wall. “Yet combined with the length of Ntilikina, these two young guys can create a lot of pressure for the guards who prefer to play iso-ball.”
When Burke played shooting guard alongside John Wall last season when he was with the Wizards, the team outscored opponents by 6.5 points per 100 possessions over about 100 minutes of court time according to CleaningTheGlass.com. With Burke on the team, the Knicks can interchange the roles of point guard and shooting guard with their depth of Ntilikina, Jack, and Ron Baker. It allows Hornacek to get more creative with the offense without sacrificing the defense (assuming he figures it out).
4.) His presence eases the pressure on the veterans
As mentioned before, Jarrett Jack has been a solid lead guard and has done admirably maintaining his role as a veteran leader on the squad. However, Jack is 34 years old and has a history of troubling injuries, particularly his bad knees, and overexerting his minutes could possibly lead to another serious setback to the team.
The last thing the Knicks need is a season ending injury to one of their more efficient players. Since Burke is 25 years old, he fits the Knicks’ timeline with young, growing players who are looking to improve their game and add depth to a struggling position. While Jack will more than likely maintain his position as the starting point guard, it won’t be long before Hornacek realizes that the team will need to inject youth into the starting lineup and will have either Burke or Ntilikina replace him as the starting point guard for the team.
That doesn’t mean Jack doesn’t have a place on the roster. It just means that it will ease his burdens of constantly expecting him to perform more than his body can handle.
Conclusion:
Burke’s addition to the Knicks doesn’t automatically mean this is going to turn into Linsanity 2.0. It means that another addition to the guard depth gives the Knicks options. It’s a good signing that shows that Scott Perry and Steve Mills recognize some of the problems plaguing the team as of now.
There’s still a good chance Hornacek could bungle this up, even with the addition of Burke. There’s also the possibility that Burke’s presence may not pan out the way a lot of us hope. At least he now has a chance of redemption and the Knicks are showing signs of rational thinking in terms of how to improve the team.
*credit to the Knicks Wall, CleaningtheGlass.com, NBA.com/Stats, Basketball-Reference, Team Rankings, NY Post
