Utah was home to John Stockton and Deron Williams so the Salt Lake City knows a thing or two about point guards. The Jazz currently have a point guard quarrel between Trey Burke and Dante Exum, and it has been very odd to say the least.
I don’t care if he says otherwise, but I am sure that Trey Burke is pissed that he lost his starting point guard to the unproven Dante Exum. He may be politically correct to say it, but I’ll say it for him. The NBA’s infatuation of making the brand international is a great marketing tool, and it brings talent to the NBA from hundreds of countries around the world. We see it every year in the NBA Draft where proven four year college players are chosen over international players who have only been seen once or twice at a showcase. This takes me to the decision for Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder to insert Exum into the starting lineup over Trey Burke.
In support of Exum he gives the Jazz length at the point guard position, and with his length he can help with the defensive matchups at the point guard match ups in the West on a night-to-night basis, but the buck stops there. As a starter, Exum is averaging 5.9 ppg, 2.1 apg, and shooting a woeful 31% from the field. I’m no basketball expert, but those numbers don’t scream starting point guard to me. Exum’s potential may be off the charts, but in so many cases we fail to realize what the players are doing before they tap into their potential.
In Burke’s case he has inserted energy and scoring to the bench, and he has continued his playmaking ways as he is closing out games in the fourth quarter. It’s obvious it doesn’t matter who starts the game, but it matters who finishes the game.
In Burke’s case that argument is valid. The numbers state that Burke had his struggles as a starter, which could be true to a certain extent, but people forget he would only be a senior in college this season if he didn’t forego his final two years of eligibility. It’s nothing wrong with not improving at a rapid pace, and it comes to show if you are patient in young point guards it will pay dividends as you see in players such as Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry. Since coming into the league, Burke has been a sub 40% shooter from the field, but as the team’s sixth man he is shooting 40% from the field as well as raising his three point percentage to around 35%.
As a starter Burke averaged 12.5 ppg to go along with 5.0 apg, and in seven games coming off the bench he is averaging 16.0 ppg with 3.2 apg. The assist may be down, but the points and efficiency has improved, and the minutes have remained the same at around 30 or more per game. This is a testament to Burke as a player not to gripe or complain about his role on the team. Burke knows that Exum is not better than him, and it is about the team rather than self. In an era where athletes are anointed faster than they should be, Burke has taken the old-school approach to his so-called “demotion” to let his play and numbers speak for itself.
Coach Snyder may have struck a nerve that could push Burke harder the rest of his career, and at times that’s what young players need. Whether if Burke is starting or coming off the bench, Jazz fans know that they are getting 100% effort from Ohio bred player. As long as Burke gets the chance to step on the hardwood he will always flourish no matter the situation–even in a situation where he relegated to the bench.
