New York Knicks: The aftermath of Trey Burke’s benching

Trey Burke opened as the starting point guard for the New York Knicks. Three weeks later, he can’t get off the bench.

When New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale announced the season opener’s starting lineup, Trey Burke was in as point guard by necessity, since Frank Ntilikina was experimented with off the ball, and Emmanuel Mudiay had an injury.

12 games later, Burke found himself not leaving the bench as the third-string point guard.

The writing was on the wall when Mudiay returned against the Dallas Mavericks and played 15 minutes compared to Burke’s six. The minutes’ disparity evened out for two games, but once the former played 34 minutes and had 16 points, 6 rebounds and stood up defensively, it created a change.

Maybe it was just a one-night-only occurrence, but Burke sat while Mudiay had 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and hit 3 of 3 from behind the arc; he only went perfect on at least 3 three-point attempts once all of last season.

After the game, Burke told Marc Berman of The New York Post he was “surprised” with the decision:

"“I’m just as surprised as everyone else,’’ Burke told The Post. “I’m going to continue to stay ready and control what I can control.”"

Fizdale remained confident in Burke after the game, despite the benching, and indicated he will continue to utilize the sixth-year man:

"“Not playing any of them is a tough call for me,’’ Fizdale said. “Trey knows he’s in my holster. I won’t hesitate to use Trey. He’s always ready to go and I believe in Trey.’’"

Maybe Burke finds his way onto the court as soon as Saturday’s game in Toronto, but as long as Frank Ntilikina retains his shot and Mudiay plays well, it will be difficult to play three point guards when there’s Enes Kanter, Allonzo Trier, Kevin Knox and Mario Hezonja to account for off the bench.

Fizdale theoretically can use Burke and Mudiay by splitting their minutes, but it potentially leaves just 10-to-12 for each player, allowing neither to find a rhythm.

Why limit Mudiay anyway? Per NBA Advanced Stats, the Knicks have a 109.1 Offensive Rating and 97.0 Defensive Rating with him on the court. Without him, they own a 103.7 Offensive Rating and 109.5 Defensive Rating.

The sample size is only five games, and Mudiay’s track record leaves much to be desired. So does Burke’s, aside from a 36-game stretch in 2017-18 when he seemed rejuvenated, only to return with shooting percentages around his career numbers.

Knicks Film School, however, attributed it to Trier’s rise in an instant offense role. He can attack and hit the mid-range jumpers that were expected out of Burke.

In the background is Burke’s contract. It might not transpire into anything, but the Knicks have a $1.4 million decision to make on Jan. 7, 2019, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

There are still two months before this happens, and it’s too early to assess after one “DNP-Coach’s Decision.” Though, it’s something to keep in mind if New York considers a roster change after the New Year.

By Saturday and Sunday’s back-to-back slate, this may become moot. Burke can step into the rotation and replicate what Mudiay did upon return, further complicating Fizdale’s rotation. It’s a healthy problem for the New York Knicks, but always at someone’s expense.