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Golden State Warriors: Alec Burks can be a triple threat

By Connor Littler

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 13: Alec Burks #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles past Josh Hart #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Staples Center on January 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 13: Alec Burks #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles past Josh Hart #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Staples Center on January 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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New Golden State Warriors wing Alec Burks once showed the promise of a future star in the NBA, however a series of injuries set his career back, meaning he’s never been more than a role player.

Having signed with the Golden State Warriors this offseason, Alec Burks is going to be one of the main contributors on a weak bench for the Dubs.

He is a man of many talents, with shooting, passing, and dribbling all strengths of his, making him a triple threat on offense.

Shooting

Last season Burks was all over the place, playing for the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Sacramento Kings for short spells in each place. In Cleveland, he had the biggest role where he played 28.8 minutes per night with a 19.2% usage rate.

During his 34 games in Cleveland, his main role was to score. He was potent from behind the line, shooting 37.8% from long range and particularly deadly from the corners, making an astronomical 46.2%.

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These figures are on a small sample size so they must be taken with a grain of salt, although Warriors fans are hoping they are an indication of what is to come from Burks.

For Burks to be a real factor for the Warriors he’ll have to probably improve his ability to shoot off the dribble. If he is doing a lot of facilitating in the second unit then it is likely he’ll be required to shoot off the dribble.

Passing

Throughout his career, Burks has also shown that he has a high basketball IQ and can pick out passes to find the open man, both in half-court and also in transition.

Transition is where the crowd-pleasers tend to shine. The floor is open and it allows the crafty point guards like Jason Kidd, Jason Williams, and Magic Johnson to show off their skills with flashy passes to their athletic teammates.

The fast-break is a place where Alec Burks can show his ability as a passer too.

Here he threads the pass through a small window to its target for the bucket. What is much more difficult is playmaking in the half-court.

Burks is aware of where the defenders are at all times and can sense when a defender steps off his man, leaving a shooter open for just a second. The next clip is very low quality but it shows perfectly how Burks is an expert at surveying the floor to make the right read.

Whilst also being an intelligent playmaker, Burks knows how to pull off a flashy pass himself, even in half-court settings. This is a clip of such a play.

This is a blind-pig action whereby the player with the ball and the action on the strong side diverts Burks’ defender’s attention. This allows Burks to cut behind his man. He accelerates quickly towards the basket and receives the bounce pass.

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His defender is completely gone and so Ryan Anderson must step up to defend the basket, opening up the nifty behind the back dump off to Rudy Gobert for the finish. This is just another example of Burks showing good ability to read defenses and make the correct play when needed.

Dribbling

The way Burks dribbles is reminiscent of Lance Stephenson. He has a seemingly loose handle but that allows Burks to manipulate defenses and encourage them to reach for ill-advised steals.

He bounces the ball high but fast allowing himself time to read his options and whip off quick passes to teammates before taking his next dribble.

At 0:38 in the video above, you see this in action. Burks bounces the ball very high, surveying his options before the next bounce. He then decides the best option is to drive baseline towards the basket.

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Also, just the fact that there is a video out there, comparing Burks and Kobe Bryant shows just how much of a potential star on the rise he was considered to be early in his career.

Prospects for the Warriors

In a recent interview with the Golden State Warriors Youtube channel, Alec Burks was asked what he could offer to the team. He replied ‘versatility’.

This is exactly what the Warriors would hope to receive from him. He could be the sixth man on this new Warriors team and help be a leader on this team which just lost many of its previous versatile veterans.

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He will be hoping to fill the big boots left behind by the likes of Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.

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