This Utah Jazz Fan Is Rooting For Trey Burke

By Ryan Aston | Jul 27, 2015

Feb 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; U.S. Team guard Trey Burke of the Utah Jazz (3) shoots the basketball against World Team forward Nikola Mirotic of the Chicago Bulls (44) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

With the Utah Jazz stuck in rebuilding mode for longer than many of us would have liked at this point, it can be difficult for some to pinpoint the high spots of the journey. Jazz Nation has been patient and the growth from within has been apparent, but for a fan base accustomed to playoff success, it’s been a hard road.

Still, there have undoubtedly been several fan-out moments to buoy us through the treacherous waters of lottery team fandom. One such moment was Gordon Hayward‘s game-winner against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. For me, though, no moment inspired hope like the team’s drafting of Trey Burke.

Following his March Madness heroics and Player of the Year season at Michigan, Burke was considered by many to be the best point guard prospect in the 2013 NBA Draft. When the Jazz, initially set to pick in the middle and late first round, were able to swing a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Burke at No. 9, elation was what I felt.

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A decade after the end of John Stockton‘s legendary career, the franchise was finally going to get a floor general with the moxy to become a star in the league. A natural leader with the Wolverines, Burke was going to come in and grow into another cornerstone piece for the Jazz.

Two years later, the jury is still out on Burke as an NBA player. Despite coming into the league with a reputation as a scorer and someone who could shoot the basketball, he has struggled to finish at the rim and is connecting on less than 38 percent of his field goal attempts overall. His size and defensive capabilities have also been of major concern.

The Burke situation reached critical mass last season when rookie point-man Dante Exum replaced Burke in Utah’s starting lineup and the team found heightened success. Following the demotion, many were left to wonder how the second-year PG would respond and if his days with the team could be numbered.

Like a true professional, Burke took the move in stride and did his best to support the team in his allotted role. Moreover, he became the team’s primary scoring threat off the bench and was able to log some big games. 23 point performances in February wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks immediately spring to mind.

Shooting woes aside, he also still has the clutch instincts, the work ethic and the leader’s mentality that made him so attractive as a draft prospect. Moreover, he has been a positive force in community efforts. He was most recently announced as a participant in the upcoming Basketball Without Borders event in Africa.

It’s hard to know whether his efforts behind the scenes will translate to in-game success, but for those of you who are already counting Burke out–tread lightly. A year-three jump may be in the works and could be critical to the team’s growth from 38-win upstart to a playoff contender in the west.

Exum appears to be the point guard of the future for the Jazz and exhibits seemingly limitless potential as a player, but none of the squad’s guard line cadre of Exum, Burke, Raul Neto and Bryce Cotton have cemented themselves as the de facto number one. Competition is stiff, but Trey has a reputation of rising to the occasion.

Will he do so as his Jazz career hangs in the balance? Can he become the Jason Terry or the Vinnie Johnson to Exum’s Jason Kidd or Isiah Thomas? Or can he even go so far as to reclaim his spot in the starting five?

It remains to be seen and there is work to be done, but you can count me among those who are still rooting for Burke to get his piece of the NBA pie.

Next: Another Utah Jazz All-Time Starting Five

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