Utah Jazz: Trey Burke is Officially Slumping

Nov 23, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke (3) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Oklahoma City won 111-89. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

After a promising start to the season, Utah Jazz point guard Trey Burke has struggled to catch net in recent weeks.

Over the course of the last two or three years, perhaps no Jazzman has been the subject of as much debate as Trey Burke. After failing to shoot greater than 38 percent from the field and yielding mixed results defensively during his rookie and sophomore campaigns with the Jazz, some wondered whether or not the point guard could hang in the Association.

Much to the chagrin of Jazz Nation, the former Michigan Wolverine would look like the player that won the John R. Wooden Award one night, only to follow that performance up with a series of duds. All the while, his detractors spared no effort in sharing every Burke-related grievance with the world.

Burke answered those critics by storming out of the gate this season, providing a much-needed scoring punch off the bench and being a key contributor to multiple Jazz wins. Without question, some of the most promising developments of the season’s opening weeks were the improved shooting and on-court leadership he was providing.

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However, the more nefarious half of his Jekyll and Hyde act seems to have resurfaced in recent weeks.

In the last eight games, Burke has averaged less than nine points per game while failing to connect on more than 36.7 percent from the field, the three-point line, as well as the free throw line. Needless to say, with the team needing players to step up while defensive anchor Rudy Gobert recovers from his MCL injury, his results have left a lot to be desired.

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So is this a slight dip before Burke gets back to taking care of business or a return to the perpetual roller coaster ride some have come to expect?

With Burke, it’s hard to know what exactly the next game will bring, but I tend to expect the turnaround. If he has shown us anything in his young career, it’s that he has a penchant for rising to the occasion when the chips are down.

One needn’t look further than the last Jazz win, an overtime thriller against the Indiana Pacers, to see it in action. Despite facing a difficult opponent sans Gobert and having played his worst basketball of the season coming into the game, Burke teamed with Derrick Favors to secure a victory, scoring 17 points and dishing out nine assists without committing a turnover.

While he was significantly less impressive in the team’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, he has a chance for redemption against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. And we all know how Mr. Burke rolls against Carmelo Anthony and his crew–

With the Jazz shorthanded and in need of a win, the stage is set once again for Burke to make the most of a difficult situation and help lead the team to victory.

So while you could say he is currently slumping–and the numbers would back you up in that claim–look for Burke to find his way back into our good graces sooner rather than later.