Knicks Rumor: Pros and cons of calling up Trey Burke from NBA G League

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WESTCHESTER, NY – NOVEMBER 19: Trey Burke #23 of the Westchester Knicks drives to the basket against the Lakeland Magic during an NBA G-League game on November 19, 2017 at Westchester County Center in Westchester, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Michael J. Le Brecht II/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Pro: Facilitating Touch

When Trey Burke is focused on getting his teammates involved, he has the ability to break a defense down and change the pace of a game. He’s proven more than capable of racking up high assists counts, and seems to see the floor well.

If the New York Knicks make it clear to Burke that setting the table for others is of more importance than generating individual offense, he should be able to contribute at a high level.

Through 25 games with the Westchester Knicks, Burke is averaging 5.4 assists per contest. In addition to ranking No. 3 in the G League in points per game, he ranks No. 15 amongst players with at least 20 appearances in assists per game.

Burke’s ability to balance his scoring with creating for others is a rare skill, and Burke has been flashing it since he was in college.

The key in the NBA would be for Burke to embrace more of a facilitating mentality, but he’s making progress. He’s committing to just 2.8 turnovers per game, which is an especially low figure when one considers how often he has the ball in his hands.

The Knicks have no shortage of quality playmakers on the roster, but it’s the balance of scoring and facilitating that could separate Burke.

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