NY Knicks: 3 Non-Stars that will dictate playoff success in 2022
Alec Burks has single-handedly won games for the NY Knicks
Alec Burks has been a somewhat polarizing figure amongst the fanbase so far this season.
He’s yet to really find his groove but when he does, similarly to last year, he’ll win the Knicks games on his back alone.
There are reasons why the front office chose to keep Burks and let Reggie walk, and that’s because of his versatility.
There’s a running theme on the Knicks and that’s guys who can shoot the 3-ball, create for themselves off the dribble, and can facilitate for others.
If you can play at least decent defense, it’s a huge plus but not exactly mandatory. Alec Burks does all of those things.
There’s a case to be made that had the Knicks won the first game of the series against Atlanta back in the playoffs last year, we would have pointed our fingers at one name and said ‘that guy just won us the game’, and that was most certainly Alec Burks.
The similarities between his play and another Knicks legend JR Smith are almost uncanny.
Although, Burks doesn’t come with as many off-the-court antics.
But sometimes we’ll get a blazing hot Alec Burks…other times, he’s as cold as ice.
That said, he’s still a savvy veteran who can do almost anything you ask of him on the basketball court at a very high level.
With all the extra offense the front office injected into this team during the summer alongside guys like Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin improving over last year, it may be difficult for Alec to replicate the nearly 13 points per game he averaged off the bench.
But once he hits his stride, he’ll once again be viewed as a key cog for the Knicks in short order.