The Philadelphia 76ers made a subtle move at the NBA’s trade deadline by bringing in Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks from the Golden State Warriors. They needed a boost in perimeter scoring and shooting at that is the expectation for both players.
While fans were able to see Robinson III and get a taste for his game a little bit before the All-Star break, they have not seen much of Alec Burks. The 9-year veteran out of Colorado only played 14 minutes in the win over the Los Angeles Clippers and fans don’t really know what to expect from him.
As the team returned from the All-Star break on Wednesday at practice, coach Brett Brown detailed what he wants out of Burks.
“Alec needs to be put in a situation where he can score,” said Brown. “I’m looking at him is sort of instant offense type off the bench he can be given the ball can be put in pick-and-rolls. I like him more probably in the middle of the floor with the pick and roll than the sideline with the pick-and-roll I think that he can be a primary ball carrier for a while.”
The idea for the Sixers in recent games is to have Ben Simmons be the roller more in the offensive system. He’d rather have Simmons use his 6-foot-10 athletic frame at the basket rather than away from it. That is why he’s using Josh Richardson, Furkan Korkmaz, and now Burks in that type of a role of being a ball-handler.
“I’m trying to grow Ben as a screen setter, and a dynamic roller, of which he is both,” Brown continued. “J-Rich can do that I think Furkan can do that I think Alec Burks can run a pick-and-roll with Ben, but I feel like his primary role, and his primary asset his skill set, is he can score. We will ask him to do the same with us in that group coming off the bench and it will be done in an environment I suspect more and middle pick-and-rolls than anything.”
Burks is a career 10.2 points per game scorer including averaging a career-high 16.1 with the Warriors. Philadelphia will benefit from both his dynamic scoring and playmaking off the bench. He offers Brown and the team that aspect and that is what Sixers fans should expect from him. [lawrence-related id=26102,26090,26081]