The Philadelphia 76ers continue to make some changes to their offense and their rotation as the season progresses. One of those changes has been inserting Trey Burke into the rotation and using him as both a backup point guard and using him in lineups next to Ben Simmons.
There has been success with having Burke in the lineup as he has been able to space the floor with his shooting and be able to use him as another ball-handler and be able to use him as a pick-and-roll initiator. He started playing with Simmons more during the road trip, specifically against the Miami Heat, and that has continued forward. He had 12 points in the win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
“He has exceeded, by a mile, my expectations of what we can expect from him,” said coach Brett Brown. “There is still some defensive things we’re trying to figure out and help him succeed defensively, but in relation to the pop and creating your own shot and a burst of speed and being dynamic off a live ball, he’s different than damn near all of them. He has given us a spark and a pop.”
When the Sixers signed Burke in the offseason, it was a nonguaranteed deal which meant that he had to battle for any playing time he got. His past eight games, he’s averaged 7.8 points and he’s shot 58.3% from deep which is huge given this team’s 3-point shooting struggles. That type of play had the Sixers making the decision to guarantee his deal for the rest of the season.
“I knew last night (Monday), but Elton pretty much confirmed it today (Tuesday,” said Burke. “I’m very grateful, I’ve always wanted to be a part of a winning situation. What better city than Philly? A team that I watched growing up with (Allen) Iverson. To get guaranteed today is a very special thing for me. I’m looking forward to continuing to play at a high level and continue to help this team win.”
Burke did not play much at the beginning of the season as Brown rolled with Raul Neto, the other point guard the Sixers signed in the offseason, and also using Josh Richardson as a backup point guard. That limited Burke’s opportunities on the floor, but when given the chance, he’s been running with it and it earned him this opportunity.
“You make a decision, do you go with Raul? Do you go with Trey? Most times we went with Raul and all of a sudden, I started playing J-Rich as a backup 1 and we just went with Raul and then Trey came in,” Brown explained. “I don’t think it was anything that we missed, I think opportunities create expectation and reward. He’s been rewarded with minutes and he has rewarded us with performance.”
When Burke had his number called in Miami on December 28, he made the most of it. He played a large majority of the fourth quarter and in overtime and his play gave the team a big spark on the offensive end. His endurance to go that long impressed Brown.
“I feel like the thing that he should deserve the most credit for should be driven towards his conditioning,” the coach added. “Look what he did in Miami. He played the whole fourth period and all of overtime? Or was out for a minute? That’s not playing much basketball and still have the conditioning to be able to come in and play 14 tough minutes without just wilting, he’s a good story. I respect his preparation.”
As the Sixers continue to work this thing out, they will undoubtedly continue to use Burke in the rotation and reap the benefits of having him out there. [lawrence-related id=22902,22892,22883]