Orlando Magic: Magic Must Target Trey Burke in the Draft

Posted by admin on May 22, 2013 · Leave a Comment

The Orlando Magic were hopeful to obtain the first overall pick in this year’s draft, but the second selection from the plethora of attractive talent is just as valuable. Their roster of very young talent, with an average roster age of 25, is ripe with potential, which makes their choice in the draft important to round out the team.

It must all start with Trey Burke.

The Magic have some intriguing prospects already, including Tobias Harris, Nikola Vucevic and Andrew Nicholson. Certain other players like Nerlens Noel or Otto Porter have high ceilings, but the front office must draft to accommodate the roster.

Burke had a phenomenal season for the Michigan Wolverines, averaging 18.6 points and 6.7 assists. He had a terrific 3.02 assist-to-turnover ratio, in addition to knocking down 46.3 percent of his overall shots. Burke’s 38.4 percent clip from three-point range and 80.1 percent from the free-throw line are indicative of his prowess shooting the ball and are especially important when transitioning to the NBA level.

Orlando could form a “Big Three” of Burke, Vucevic and Harris, in what is the new NBA standard of building a team. The latter duo closed the season strong, with Vucevic putting up 18.5 points and 15.3 rebounds through April and Harris averaging 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 44 percent shooting.

Adding a dynamic point guard to the Magic’s roster would create an effect much like what happened to the Portland Trail Blazers this past season. Damian Lillard’s arrival in Oregon didn’t ultimately translate to the success the Trail Blazers were hoping for, as they missed the postseason and finished with a worse record than last season.

It was mostly due to a 13-game losing streak to close the season, however Lillard’s effect on the team was clear. Burke could do the same with the Magic, by being thrust into the spotlight and handed the keys to the franchise.

It would be a slight reach for Orlando to take Burke with the second pick, yet the other choices on the board clash with the other players on the roster. Noel’s ability to play effectively after an ACL tear waves a red flag, and the drafting of a small forward puts a question mark above Harris’ place in the rotation after performing really well in a Magic uniform.

Jameer Nelson, Orlando’s current point guard, could provide veteran leadership and mentor Burke through his first season. Whether Nelson started and Burke came off the bench or vice versa, it would present an interesting one-two punch in the backcourt for the Magic.

Ben McLemore, a superstar talent out of Kansas, would also be a great choice for Orlando. However, the league is becoming more and more point-guard-orientated, and taking Burke allows the team to begin a proper rebuild immediately.

Adding McLemore would create discussions surrounding what to do with Arron Afflalo, the team’s current shooting guard, and the plethora of 2-guards on the roster.

He’s predicted to have a very high ceiling, but ultimately Burke is a better piece to Orlando’s puzzle.

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Trey Burke Should Be Considered the Top Prospect in 2013 NBA Draft

Posted by admin on May 17, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Any team that passes up the chance to draft Trey Burke in the 2013 NBA draft will be making a colossal mistake.

Although he only spent two years at Michigan, the Wolverines point guard made them count. Burke really grew into a star in his sophomore season. You could see his potential in his freshman year, but he put it all together this past season.

Burke averaged 18.6 points, 6.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds a game. What’s even more impressive is that he shot 46.3 percent from the field. With Burke leading the way, the Wolverines made it all the way to the national championship before losing to Louisville.

Going into the draft, that game will be the lasting image of Burke on the court, as Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com reported last week. Burke chose not to take part in any of the skill drills at the combine:

“The combine for us will just be testing and interviews,” Burke’s father and newly-named agent, Benji Burke told MLive.com. “We won’t be doing any workouts or skill things there.

“But he will definitely do all the testing and interviews with teams.”

You can see why Burke made the decision he did. There’s really nothing to be gained from partaking in the combine, and it’s not going to hurt his draft position too much. Jeff Rabjohns of Peegs.com considers him the best point guard on the board:

It’s hard to argue that Burke should be the top pick in the draft because you don’t know how the lottery will unfold; however, you can say that Burke is the best overall player in the draft.

In a class that’s bereft of can’t-miss prospects, Burke has the kind of talent that sets him apart from the rest. Although he’s probably not going to be the kind of transcendent star like some previous top picks, Burke is as close to a sure thing as you’ll find in the draft.

Burke is a very good leader. Although he didn’t have a great showing in the tournament overall, without him, the Wolverines wouldn’t have been anywhere close to the title game. Burke showed a lot of poise and confidence for a sophomore.

As his shooting percentage would attest, Burke is a pretty efficient scorer. He’s got enough ability around the perimeter to keep opposing teams honest. On the other hand, if a defender is playing too tightly, Burke can dribble around him and get himself a better shot near the paint or find an open teammate as the defense collapses around him.

One of the biggest positives about Burke is his ability in the pick-and-roll offense. Teams are utilizing the pick-and-roll more and more. Burke is at a major advantage having the kind of experience and skill he does with the pick-and-roll.

Damian Lillard was a pick-and-roll maestro in college. He had a great debut season en route to winning the Rookie of the Year Award.

Burke is a bit undersized at around 6’0″, so there’s the worry that he won’t be able to score in the paint against opposing post players and that he’ll struggle to cope with size on defense. They’re legitimate concerns and hold back Burke’s potential.

All in all, Burke is a complete player and can excel immediately in the NBA. Although he’s not going to be one of the best ever, Burke should become an All-Star-caliber point guard in a few seasons.

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Trey Burke NBA Combine 2013: Measurements, Analysis and Draft Projection

Posted by admin on May 16, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Trey Burke had an incredible college basketball season at Michigan, and he is ready to take his talent to the NBA.

At the league’s scouting combine, the talented point guard will not participate in drills, according to Jeff Goodman of CBS:

However, he can still solidify his standing as one of the top picks in the draft by doing well in interviews and posting strong measurements in Chicago.

While this week is not a make-or-break moment for the All-American, Burke is certain to receive plenty of attention at this event. Here is a look at the player’s profile heading into the bulk of the draft season.

Measurements

A lack of height is one of the biggest things preventing Burke from being an elite point guard in the NBA. He was only listed at 6’0″ on Michigan’s official website and could have been even smaller than his listing.

Fortunately, his official measurements were better than originally thought. According to Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com, the guard said that he measured at 6’1″ with a wingspan of 6’5″.

Considering how well the 6’0″ Chris Paul has done over the years, it is certainly possible for Burke to find the same level of success or close to it at the next level.

Analysis

As Jeff Rabjohns of Yahoo! Sports pointed out, there was not much room for Burke to improve his stock at the combine:

The point guard was outstanding during his sophomore season for the Wolverines, totaling 18.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. His contributions on the court helped him become the consensus National Player of the Year.

Of course, it was more than just his statistics that were so impressive. He was one of the quickest guards in America with the ability to beat almost anyone to the lane where he was able to finish at the rim. If given space, he was able to hit three-point shots consistently.

In addition, he is also a very good passer who continually created open shots for his teammates. Finally, the toughness and will to win that was on display during the NCAA tournament is not something that should be ignored.

While he might not be an elite defender, his strength and quickness will allow him to stay in front of opponents and do enough to help his team.

Burke is one of the safer picks in the draft and should be an above-average starter for years to come.

Draft Projection

There is little doubt that Burke is the top point guard on the board, but his actual draft position will be highly dependent on the lottery and team need.

ESPN reports that 11 teams have already requested interviews with the 20-year-old:

If a team like the Orlando Magic wins the lottery and decides that they need a point guard, Burke could end up being the first player selected in the entire draft. However, a more likely scenario is that Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore go No. 1 and No. 2 in some order.

After that, Burke will find a spot where he is needed, which will likely be somewhere between the No. 3 pick and the No. 10 pick.

Still, the college star will almost certainly be selected at some point in the lottery and should go on to have a very successful NBA career.

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Best-Case, Worst-Case NBA Comparisons for Michigan’s Trey Burke

Posted by admin on April 25, 2013 · Leave a Comment

It’s true. You can actually improve your draft stock and skills by going to college for more than a year.

Trey Burke confirmed this theory in 2012-13, after he decided another season at Michigan was a necessary step to take.

We saw Burke evolve as a player, both mentally, physically and fundamentally. He grew as a leader, an athlete and a point guard.

Aside from guiding his program to a national championship appearance, Burke’s individual performance throughout the year was flat-out spectacular. He averaged 18.6 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting, a fairly efficient number for a primary ball-handler.

Offensively, he expanded his shooting range, making more threes per game at a higher rate, up to 38.4 percent from 34.8 percent.

But the most impressive stat of all was his 6.7-to-2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Burke improved as a floor general, balancing his scoring with facilitating while keeping the ball secure.

A few question marks have kept Burke from gaining elite status as a prospect. Despite Marcus Smart’s return to Oklahoma State, Nerlens Noel‘s ACL tear and Ben McLemore’s uninspiring NCAA tournament, you rarely hear anyone mention Burke as a potential candidate to go No. 1 overall.

Physically, Burke is somewhat underwhelming. He doesn’t have that explosiveness that the new wave of point guards seem to have. John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Eric Bledsoe, Derrick Rose—these guys have superstar upside because of their ability to play above the rim.

The position is evolving, and from a physical standpoint, Burke falls on the wrong side of the divider.

At 6’0”, Burke is undersized and isn’t much of a high-flier. He’s athletic in that he can swoop around defenders and knock down acrobatic, off-balance shots. But finishing at the rim shouldn’t have to be an adventure. Sometimes Burke takes a beating when he attacks the basket. The most high-percentage shots he attempts actually come out on the perimeter.

His physical tools don’t project strongly on the defensive side of the ball, either.

I’m not saying he won’t be successful because of it, but it lowers his upside to NBA scouts.

Because of Burke’s physical limitations, his worst-case comparison will be D.J. Augustin of the Indiana Pacers.

For the record, Augustin put up very similar numbers to Burke in his sophomore year. He averaged 19.2 points, 5.8 assists and 38.1 percent shooting from downtown.

And like Burke, D.J. Augustin is also an under-the-rim point guard at just 6’0”. He isn’t a guy who’s going to attack the rim and score over defenders. He’ll beat them with dexterity and touch, a more low-percentage approach.

Augustin has a job today because he’s quick off the bounce, crafty with the dribble and can knock down open shots. It actually wasn’t too long ago he averaged 14.4 points and 6.1 assists for the Bobcats.

But looking at his full body of work, Augustin has shot below 38.6 percent from the floor in three of his five NBA seasons.

This was a college stud who has struggled to make the transition because of his physical limitations.

If Burke can fight his way around these obstacles, we could be looking at a best-case comparison (at least in terms of value) as Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets.

Lawson, like Burke, makes up for his physical limitations with floor-general qualities. He’s got the ability to command the offense and control the tempo.

But what really drives their value is their breakdown ability. Both Burke and Lawson have extremely creative handles with sickening stop-to-start quickness. They understand how to manipulate the defense, draw help defenders and find the open man they freed up with the dribble.

These guys are a nightmare to defend off ball screens. Both Burke and Lawson can step up over them and knock down shots off the dribble anywhere from 12-to-26 feet away.

They also have a mean hesitation dribble that keeps defenders on their heels, forcing them to either give up the drive or the pull-up, leaving one of the two open.

But with natural point guard and passing instincts, both are capable of facilitating the pick-and-roll and hitting the screener. They can quarterback the offense in the half-court and set the table for the scorers. This is an area where a guy like Kemba Walker struggles, another potential Burke comparison.

Lawson is deadly in the open floor because of his speed and quickness, which is something Burke will need to take advantage of as well. He might not have the same half-court success rate in the pros that he did in college. Getting out in transition will play to Burke’s strengths where a slow pace can expose his weaknesses.

If Burke can convince scouts he’s got Ty Lawson upside, than there’s no reason he can’t be a top-five pick in this year’s draft.

However, everything will ultimately depend on the Orlando Magic’s logic.

If the lottery plays out the way the odds say it should, the Magic will get the first pick in the draft. And Orlando’s biggest need just happens to be a point guard.

Based on fits, it shouldn’t be out of the question for Orlando to take Burke No. 1 overall. He’s a fairly safe play and fills a need at the point—Burke just lacks the upside of a typical first pick.

If Orlando passes, the next plausible destination could be New Orleans at No. 5, depending how much they value Greivis Vasquez. If not New Orleans, it would be hard to imagine the Sacramento Kings passing at No. 6, though I’ve seen them do crazier things before. Detroit should also be considered an option if he does get passed six times.

Either way, Burke has put himself in the mix here with some of the top prospects in the country. He should have plenty of suitors in the upper-echelon of this draft.

I’m leaning towards Burke making a Lawson-type impact as a starting point guard in this league. If Orlando took him No. 1 overall in this draft that’s filled with uncertainty, I wouldn’t knock the pick.

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