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New York Knicks: Five reasons Trey Burke is earning a long-term tenure

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 23: Trey Burke #23 of the New York Knicks looks to take a shot against Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter during their game at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 23: Trey Burke #23 of the New York Knicks looks to take a shot against Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter during their game at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 2: Trey Burke #23 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on March 2, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 2: Trey Burke #23 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on March 2, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Trey Burke was called up to provide depth at point guard. As it turns out, he’s both the best point guard on the New York Knicks and a long-term asset.

When the New York Knicks made the decision to call up Trey Burke from the NBA G League, most were optimistic. Burke had been the best player on the best team in the Association’s minor league, leading the Westchester Knicks to a run of virtual dominance.

Throw in the fact that the Knicks were starting a 34-year-old point guard and backing him up with a rookie who looked like more of a hybrid than a pure 1, and Burke was a breath of fresh air.

In saying that, few expected Burke to develop into a high-level contributor. The hope was that he could be a quality starter, but the general expectation was that he’d be able to fill the role of a sixth man and start until Frank Ntilikina was ready to take over.

With Ntilikina embracing more of an off-ball role, however, Burke has clearly established himself as the best point guard on the roster.

Ntilikina may still be the future at the position, but the possibility of he and Burke playing alongside one another is growing. They’ve done so along the second unit and have frustrated teams on both ends of the floor.

The question is: What is it that’s made Trey Burke so valuable to the New York Knicks in 2017-18 and can he turn that into something sustainable?

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