I’m currently reminiscing about Alec Burks’ surprisingly lengthy career and I just recalled how there was a stretch of seasons with the Jazz where Burks was never really healthy and was often missing extended stretches of games with some physical ailment or another. Honestly, at that time, I expected Burks’ career to be over; while he was a talented scorer, he didn’t appear in enough games to guarantee his place in the NBA going forward. Sort of like what’s currently happening to Dante Exum, another ex-Jazzman who never fulfilled his promise with that team.
And then Burks went to the Kings and averaged 1.7 PPG. That’s when I really thought he was toast. Leave it to the Kings to make a willful attempt to ruin the career of a guy who’s supposed to be entering his prime by not giving him minutes and assuming that he’s broken-down trash.
So this Burks career resurgence, which really only started this season, is a pleasant surprise for people who always thought that Burks was destined for more. Maybe I can’t really count myself in that group, since I wasn’t entirely convinced by the few good scoring seasons (injury-shortened seasons, might I add) he had for the Jazz. But I always thought that if he stayed healthy, he could be a useful bench scorer for a good playoff team, and guess what? That’s exactly what he is. I win again!