Burks can be a PG and a special one at that! Let me explain.
Their are different types of PGs in this league:
1. Nash, Calderone, CP3, Deron, Rondo, Rubio, who are elite passers. I may be missing someone, and perhaps including Rondo where he shouldn't be included. Rondo wants the assists more than he actually makes great passes.
2. Others are athletic studs that can pass sure (as part of the offense) and can find the open man but they can just break you down and get any shot they want: That is Westbrook, CP3, Parker and others include: Deron, Conley, Lillard, Jennings, etc. Notice the trend of the most elite PG's show up on every list, but most fall into one or two categories max.
3. Then their are the leaders: Nash, Kidd, CP3 and many others apply here.
4. Other Categories: Scorers, Shooters, Game Managers etc
The question is with similar minutes as other PG's in the league: When comparing Burks potential to the secondary group of PG's... you know the ones after the top 5 PG's what would Burks be able to accomplish in our offense with similar playing time.
At the end of the day the question is what kind of mismatch can you put on the floor? Does a 6'6" PG cause more of a positive mismatch on the floor on a possession per possession basis than say a Luke Ridnour or Mo Williams. Think about what Mo is for us: Is he an elite passer? NO, Shooter? No, Leader? Maybe but not elite Kidd/CP3 Athlete? No etc. Mo Williams is a 10-20 PG but one who is that because he is the starter on a good offensive team. But does he play good D? Why was he 3rd string PG in LAC last year... questions questions questions... Being the starter makes a difference, and how much we pay him matters: Could we do equally
well this year with Devin? I think so. What about Ridnour, Jameer, etc. I think right now he is a better PG than Burks but 10 games from now what will be Burks learning curve? If Burks bust out with all that confidence he has over the next 10 games, we all will be reassessing how much we can live with his weaknesses as a PG when compared to his strengths. I mean, seriously look at how quickly things change as far as perceptions in this league on guys: Calderone was left for dead last year and the year before and was on one of the worst contracts in the NBA nobody wanted to touch him. Toronto felt the need to trade a pick to get a better PG because Calderone had given up or lost it... but what happens.. contract year comes up and Calderone awakes from a deep freeze when Lowry gets injured and realizes if I play well I will get paid again, and then his team who couldn't trade him for 3 years decides wisely to keep pumping up his value until they can off load him to Detroit. Varejao comes back from years of injury.... he is broken down and injury riddled but he plays 15 amazing games and he is supposedly the hottest name on the market until he gets injured again. My point is, if Burks gets even a little bit comfortable out there.. enough to lose some inhibitions he just might take off.
So, I look at Burks a little differntly: I see Burks as the perfect PG for where I think the league should go: Bigger more athletic, longer. What we gain in lowering the FG% of the other team, in Post Ups versus other PG's etc. are more than made up in the 1-2 assists we lose per game by not having an elite passer.
Here is my point: Some are lobbying for Calderone next year... I wouldn't mind because he is an elite passer but at 30 MPG he gets 7.3apg. I think Burks could easily get 6apg when playing 30mpg. So, the question then has to be asked who defends better? BURKS by far, Calderone is a liability. I think with Burks you want to pair him with a Hayward starting so you have more ballhandling, but I think Burks gives you as many pluses as he gives you minuses. And that is the point accross the entire league: With the exception of a few truly elite PG's, its about the matchups.
When you consider all the minutes logged by starting PG's in this league, how many of them are truly elite? In my mind 4: CP3, Parker, Westbrook, Deron. There is a solid 2nd tier with: Nash, Conley, Holiday, Lillard, Rondo (who I am okay with including in the top tier too), Rubio (trending), Lawson, Curry, Lowry but none of those 2nd tier guys at this point are true game changing can't live without PG's. In fact Curry and maybe Conley are the only ones that if they stay healthy will be worth what their teams are paying them. Heck, Mo Williams could average close to what Holiday is averaging in the offense starved Sixers. Circumstance dictates a lot of players stats and my point is that if the Jazz are going to resign Al or Paul and run with a big man heavy offense and a healthy dose of a future all star or near all star Hayward/Favors combo we don't need a CP3... We would create our own mismatches by having a 6'6" slasher manning the point... that would at least create as many pluses as having a middling 7-15 rated PG.
Burks can be our PG of the future.
