Trey Burke FInal Summer League Game
http://www.nba.com/games/20130712/INDUTA/gameinfo.html?ls=slt#nbaGIboxs…
Trey Burke was 4-12 for 8 points, 5 assists / 2 turnovers. He was 0-4 from beyond the arc (although the last 2 were of the desperation variety) but this is clearly something he needs to improve. Good to see the AST/TO rate improving.
Video: http://www.nba.com/jazz/video/playlist/summer-league-day-6-pacers-73-ja…
on athleticism, but we knew that anyway. Trey was on a team with a bunch of guys he will never see again. Give him a training camp, a playbook, and a little more time and we will see a completely different player at the beginning of the season.
Trey isn't just a rookie, he's a rookie who should still be in college if he wasn't gifted as he is. He is very young and raw, and I truly hope he is a sponge when it comes to receiving advice from his coaches. Maybe he does have the height disadvantage, but that hasn't stopped a few other guys in the league. I believe he can be a very solid guard in the league in the near future.
He at least improved throughout the games.
That may help just a little.
5 Assists and 2 TOs is pretty fantastic for the Summer League considering the amount of botched plays.
Struggling in summer league is not a good sign. It's not a death knell, but it definitely is cause for concern.
I wish some people would stop trying to rationalize it. Trey hasn't played well in the summer league. It's okay to say it.
Doesn't mean he will be a bad pro or anything but it's obviously not the ideal start.
PurpleAndBlues.com put forth an interesting comparison of Trey's measurables to that of players like Chris Paul and Deron Williams. The argument that the author is making here is it may not be so much for lack of NBA talent, but that Trey looked weaker than some of the people in the Summer League. To quote him precisely:
"Trey’s problem right now is he was noticeably weaker than all of these guys coming out of college. the good news is by getting world class trainers he can easily get stronger. I think this was one of his big problems in the Summer League, they were running two a day practices with scrimmage games and people that are stronger and in better shape are obviously going to be able to handle the work load better"
They also point out that Trey ran an offense and did very well (this we know) and thrives in structure, which they argue is lacking in the Summer League.
Anyway, it was an interesting take on what statistically would be a disconcerting performance perhaps.
Trey should probably look weak in this environment considering he looked weak all year playing aginst college players. I guess for me "weak" is a strong word and not the one I would use, I think a better desciptor would be that others are stronger more than he is weak.
Anyway, it was the same during last season and through the tournament. He consistently went down with contact and looked like he needed to get significantly stronger if he hoped to make an impression in the NBA (at least to me he did). It was my one issue with him all year in that almost everytime he drove the lane he would end up in a pile under the basket and ofetn couldn't get back on defense.
I mean, honestly at the time it felt like nitpicking because that was literally the only issue I had with Trey Burke, but I did find that it could catch up to him if he chose to go pro early (and it appears it has). The good news is that is something that can be easily remedied and once it is, I think he will find the same success he had in college.
To the OP, I don't 3 pointer is something he will "have to work on" any more than any other part of his game. He has shown he easily has NBA 3 point range while in college so that doesn't concern me too much. I think what is happening here is Trey (like most rookies) is trying just a little too hard to impress at this point, but once he settles down and plays within himself, he'll be just fine. Trey is the real deal and will have a successful NBA career in my opinion.
I'm really not. But can you please elaborate on this athleticism point? I mean really, tell me how he is lacking in that department because in the two years I watched him play he seemed pretty athletic to me. I am honestly asking you to fill me in on what athleticism is becasue clearly I don't get it.
Just saying you're right though, and he isn't athletic. What about Steve Nash....little white guy who isn't particulalry fast but has won an MVP award. You say that because he isn't athletic he can only hope to come off the bench, yet another guy roughly the same height and far less athletic IMHE has won an MVP and has been the best point guard in the league a number of times. I just wonder about your rationale on this judgement.
The issue with athleticism for Burke is that his game relied heavily on getting to the basket in college and against NBA players he doesn't have the athleticism to finish when he gets around the basket. Remember the Kansas game where his game in the paint was neutralized by a 7' center? Well a lot of NBA teams have a really tall player down low. So Trey is going to have to change up his game if he wants to succeed. Doesn't mean he can't, but unti lhe does he will struggle in the NBA. And his outside shot hasn't looked very good so far.
"Remember the Kansas game where his game in the paint was neutralized by a 7' center?" Um, what? Are we talking about this Kansas game? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICqnSGwvSNg
Burke had one of his best games of his career against kansas who had a 7 foot defensive center....
that just doesn't ring true to me. You're choosing to focus on a very brief summer league to say he outside shot doesn't look good so far. I mean, for two years in AA he proved he can shoot with great success and can also take it to the basket. Also, you point to the Kansas game where he actually played a hell of a game despite the fact that they have a 7 footer at center.
Anyway, all of that aside, the poster I was responding to said Burke would be a bench player his entire career because of his lack of athleticism. I know of several guards who are less athletic and of equal size who have done quite well. My point was he was selling Trey a little eshort especially at this early juncture.
I still would like to know how he isn't athletic though because your definition didn't really answer that. I mean, the guy is like 6' tall and dunks with ease, is great with the ball in his hands and is as quick as most point guards...he finishes at the rim about as athletically as any guard I've seen so where is this lack of athleticism? Or do I just have the wrong definition of the word? These are sincere questions.
Drose averaged 9 ppg in the summer league and then won rookie of the year. The summer league means absolutely nothing.