The sample size has been brief, but New York Knicks point guard Trey Burke has been lighting up the scoreboard since the All-Star Break.
When the New York Knicks called up Trey Burke from the NBA G League, Westchester Knicks fans immediately expressed excitement. Burke was tormenting opposing defenses in the G League, and many fans agreed that he could do the same on the main roster.
Since being called up, Burke has justified the hype by putting forth a string of performances that imply the former lottery pick is beginning to realize his potential.
Burke has played just 16 games with the Knicks, which is the obvious asterisk. During that time, however, he’s translated his explosive success in Westchester to the main roster, where he’s become something of a super sub.
Through 16 appearances, Burke is averaging 10.4 points, 3.5 assists, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.8 three-point field goals made per game. Those numbers are solid as they are, but they become even more impressive when one considers the fact that he’s playing just 15.6 minutes per game.
For perspective: Burke’s numbers translate to 23.9 points, 8.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 1.7 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that Burke has maintained a high level of efficiency during his brief run. He’s converting at a clip of .538/.375/.700, which has inevitably been met with the resistant question of: “Who has he played?”
On Monday, Feb. 26, Burke addressed that concern by showing up with a high-quality performance against the Golden State Warriors.
New York fell 125-111 to the defending NBA champions, but that’s a virtual afterthought in this discussion. All three point guards played well, with Emmanuel Mudiay scoring 20 points and Frank Ntilikina thriving in his hybrid role.
One of the big stories from the game was Burke, however, as he continued what’s been an unbelievable tear since the All-Star Break.
Burke finished the clash with the Warriors with 18 points, five assists, one rebound, one block, and a steal in 25 minutes of action. He shot 8-of-15 from the field, 1-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 1-of-1 at the free throw line.
Burke has now scored 70 points over the course of the past three games, including explosive performances against the Warriors and the Boston Celtics.
It was one thing for Burke to post 26 points and six assists against the Orlando Magic. What heightened the level of intrigue was when Burke followed that performance by posting 26 points and eight assists against Kyrie Irving and the Celtics.
One game later, Burke did it again by putting up 18 points and five assists against Stephen Curry and the Warriors.
Burke has now scored at least 18 points in all four of the games during which he’s received at least 25 minutes. Three of those games were played against teams that are on pace to make the playoffs: The Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Warriors.
Burke has also scored in double figures in six of the seven games during which he’s played at least 18 minutes—and the lone exception was a nine-point outing on 4-of-7 shooting.
It’s also worth noting that Burke recorded a +/- of +6 during the clash with Golden State. Some may not value that statistic, but the eye test confirms that the Knicks have played better when he’s on the floor.
The advanced metrics do the same, as New York boasts net ratings of +0.7 with Burke on the floor and -6.2 when he isn’t—a difference of 6.9 points per 100 possessions.
Knowing this to be true, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the possibility of Burke having a long-term future with the Knicks. He has a non-guaranteed salary of $1.8 million for the 2018-19 season, and the odds are improving of his contract being picked up.
Now that Burke has done this in back-to-back games against contending-level teams, the hype train has received a healthy dose of legitimacy.
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The question is: Can New York Knicks point guard Trey Burke maintain this high level of play over the final two months of the 2017-18 NBA regular season?