2013 Naismith and Wooden award-winning Michigan PG Trey Burke is all but certainly going to be picked inside the top 10 of this year’s NBA Draft. Whether or not he should be is up for debate, as the Wolverine stands only 6 feet tall and weighs in at 190 lbs. But make no mistake about it; what he lacks in height, he makes up for and more with heart and skill. The simple fact that Burke played in and nearly won the National Championship helps him tremendously, as this is what is most recently ingrained in scouts’ mind. This good ball-handling, sharpshooting leader of a team is poised to be a very good NBA prospect.
Many scouts are conflicted about whether Burke will translate well to the NBA, as shorter point guards who excelled in college don’t necessarily work out at the next level (think Jonny Flynn). However, Burke truly has everything you need to be an NBA point: court vision, good ball-handling skills, a workable (and more) jump shot, a heady play style, and an ability to get to the rim and either finish or dish it back to a shooter. The simple fact of the matter is that he would be unquestionably a top-5 pick with an extra 2 or 3 inches. I say, why over-blow such a minuscule number?
Now height does matter, don’t get me wrong, but there is something to be said for playing in an NBA-ready conference, the B1G, and in the NCAA Tournament vs. quite a few NBA prospects and still excelling. Burke won’t be a Russell Westbrook, flying high above the rim, but he won’t need to be. Just look at 3 of the top NBA point guards: Tony Parker, Chris Paul, and Rajon Rondo. What’s one thing they all have in common? They all stand 6’1 or under. Trey Burke, while not quite these guys, has tremendous talent. He understands how to play the position, and while some guys like Peyton Siva seem to have college-only games, Burke has a very adaptable game.
Trey Burke averaged 18.6 PPG on 46% from the field and 38% from behind the arc. He also put up 6.7 APG compared to just 2.2 TOPG, fifth in the country for this ratio. An efficient player from the line, Burke shot 80%. Burke can also be a bit of a pest on defense, averaging 1.6 steals per game. All of these stats were accumulated in the aforementioned NBA-ready conference that is the B1G.
The NBA Lottery happened last night, and the results will contribute to where Burke goes. The top two teams inside the top 5 who’ve been rumored to have interest in Burke are New Orleans and Orlando, but most recently, Orlando seems to have ramped up interest in Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel. A good situation for both team and player would have Trey Burke join a Pelican lineup that would also feature Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis. In any situation, look for Trey Burke to join a team and start. A comparable stat line to what we should see will go something like this: 15 PPG, 7 APG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.5 SPG.
Burke is definitely not a guaranteed success, but he should be able to, at the very least, be a competent NBA 1. His ceiling is high, and should he fulfill his potential, the team that takes the chance on him will be duly rewarded.
By Brandon Garland
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
