Alec Burks thriving in Pistons bench role is a reminder of Knicks misuse

Last season, New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau passed the point guard reins to Alec Burks after Derrick Rose was injured and Kemba Walker was struggling to find a fit in the rotation.

The then 30-year-old played in a career-high 81 games for the Knicks that included a career-high 44 starts. Soon after New York’s disappointing 37-45 season came to an end, Burks underwent foot surgery. Reports that he had surgery didn’t come out until the day before the 2022 NBA Draft, but Fred Katz of The Athletic reported that the guard was expected to return in time for training camp.

After a bizarre draft night, the Knicks traded Burks and Nerlens Noel to the Pistons to clear cap space for Jalen Brunson. Ironically enough, Burks didn’t make his season debut until Nov. 11 when Detroit lost to New York at Madison Square Garden. It was a solid game for the guard though, as he finished with 17 points, two rebounds, and one assist in 25 minutes off the bench.

Burks has played in a total of eight games since his return, and he’s only failed to score in double-digits in one of those games (a six-point performance against the Clippers on Nov. 17). On Nov. 22, he scored 21 points (7-of-13) in 21 minutes in the Pistons’ win over the Nuggets in Denver as the first half of a back-to-back. The following night in Utah, he had 18 points in 19 minutes as Detroit won by nine.

Former Knicks guard Alec Burks is unsurprisingly performing well in role he’s meant to be in

Detroit currently sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 5-17 record, but over the past few weeks, Alec Burks has given the Pistons a much-needed spark off the bench (subscription required).

"Before Burks’ arrival, the Pistons had the lowest-scoring bench in the NBA through the first 12 games. Since Nov. 11, when Burks made his debut, Detroit has had the NBA’s sixth-highest scoring bench over a nine-game span. The Pistons also are the 10th-best 3-point shooting team in that span. Lastly, Detroit has been a top-13 offense since Burks became available."

In New York, Thibodeau had Burks playing a role that he wasn’t suited for. To no fault of Burks, he isn’t a point guard, so he shouldn’t have spent the majority of the season in that position. Thibodeau could’ve turned to Immanuel Quickley more often, especially once it became evident that the Knicks wouldn’t be making it back to the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Now, with the Pistons, Burks is excelling coming off the bench. He’s a valuable veteran and teammate to have in a young locker room, too.

On Tuesday night, Detroit will host New York for the first time this season as the first two matchups were at MSG. With the Pistons dealing with a myriad of injuries, Knicks fans can expect to see a lot of Burks. Hopefully, the game won’t end with a classic clutch Alec Burks shot.

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