Feb 6, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks (10) drives past Atlanta Hawks forward DeAndre Bembry (95) in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 120-95. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Alec Burks missed significant time due to injury for the third consecutive season in 2016-2017. How should the Utah Jazz look back on his year?
Two years after having signed him to a four-year contract, the Utah Jazz still know little about their backup shooting guard Alec Burks. Over the past two seasons, Burks has appeared in only 73 games, and that's without considering a 2014-15 campaign in which he played in 27 contests.
From a December 2014 shoulder surgery to ankle and knee surgeries over the next few seasons, Burks has almost never been at full strength on the court for the Jazz.
As such, we don't have a clear picture of how he fits with the Jazz as presently constructed. However, we can look at his limited play as a reflection of the player he will be going forward, at least with a discerning eye.
All told, Burks averaged 6.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game on 40 percent shooting from the floor this year. This represents a decline in all mentioned categories from the year previous, but he also saw his minutes decrease from 25.5 last season to just over 15 per game.
Still, much remains to be seen in how Burks can rebound from injury woes and (hopefully) maintain a more consistent level of play in the future.
In order to evaluate him, we'll look at his best and worst elements of play, as well as how he could fit into the Jazz's plans moving forward.
Jan 26, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Louis Williams (23) looks to drive to the hoop against Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks (10) in the second quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Strengths
Perimeter shooting has never been more important in the NBA, and all things considered, Burks seems to be apt at providing this skill.
Although he shot just 33 percent from behind the arc this year, he's a career 36 percent marksman who hit at 38 and 41 percent the previous two years.
On catch-and-shoot threes, he shot 37.3 percent in 2016-17, in sharp contrast to his 26.1 clip on pull-up three-pointers. Thus, any shooting struggles he's seemed to have look to be errors of judgment rather than lack of ability.
When he's on his game, as he was March 11 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, most of his value comes from nailing spot-up jump shots and getting to the free throw line.
Drawing contact around the hoop is one of Burks' greatest assets. His free throw rate (defined as number of free throws per field goal attempt) of 0.315 ranks among the league's best, and even that represents a step down from his career value of 0.405.
This gives him the ability to function either as an on-ball creator playing with bench units or as an off-ball secondary or tertiary option with starters.
His passing leaves a little to be desired, but Burks also has the ability to run a pick-and-roll, scoring 0.947 points per possession as a ballhandler, according to Synergy.
Jan 28, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks (10) after a call in the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Utah Jazz 102-95. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Weaknesses
Regardless of his struggles this past season, Burks isn't a great stylistic fit overall for the way the Jazz have been operating under Quin Snyder.
Utah plays at a methodical pace, eschewing transition opportunities in favor of low turnover numbers and efficient offense, while Burks excels playing in a faster-paced, more chaotic environment.
In college at the University of Colorado, over 21 percent of his possessions came in transition, while only 15 percent of his offense was derived on fastbreaks last season with the Jazz.
This fact alone doesn't necessarily manifest itself as a negative, but it does have the consequence of preventing one of his greater strengths from taking effect.
More specifically, there is the significant issue of Burks' inability to finish at the rim. Inside the restricted area last year, he converted just 40.3 percent of his attempts, which ranked among the worst marks in the entire league.
His lack of body control contributes to his ability to draw fouls, but it also hamstrings his finishing prowess, as he'll resort to crazy body contortions as opposed to smarter attempts when presented with resistance inside the paint.
There's a large divide between what Burks is ideally and what he showed himself to be last year. The difference of these two versions of himself will determine whether or not he has a future with the Jazz or, in a broader sense, a significant role to play at all.
Jan 21, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks (10) keeps an eye on Indiana Pacers forward C.J. Miles (0) while dribbling the ball during the third quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Utah won 109-100. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Moving Forward
If Burks had been able to dispel his injury concerns, his $11 million per year contract over the next two seasons would be fairly good value for the new salary cap.
However, in his current depleted state, Burks represents an almost-unplayable asset and certainly one that wouldn't fit into Utah's longer-term plans.
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A trade would certainly be a good option for the Jazz front office, as they will be forced to spend exorbitantly this summer if they want to retain Gordon Hayward, Joe Ingles and George Hill.
Finding a taker for Burks as it stands now would certainly be difficult, but a three-point shooting wing on a decent contract would be an attractive piece for most teams.
In terms of improving his value, Burks' first priority should be to get and stay healthy.
With that, he'll be able to insert himself into the Jazz's organizational plans and concentrate on keeping his shooting consistent, as well as improve his field goal percentage at the rim.
Alec Burks may seem like a lost cause, but taking his last season at face value can distort the reality of the player that he is and can be.
Make sure to check back, as over the next few weeks, we'll review the seasons of the rest of the Jazz roster.
