What does Alec Burks bring to the Philadelphia 76ers?
So let’s be honest, if a time traveler told you in September that the sixth place Philadelphia 76ers getting Alec Burks at the trade deadline would be key to the Sixers offense, there would be two responses. First, “who the heck is that guy?” Second, “Wait, the Sixers are in sixth place?”
The acquisition of Alec Burks will give the Sixers a mix of what they needed, which is shot creation and shooting. Burks has hit career highs across the board this season, and has been one of the few highlights for the Golden State Warriors in a season flooded with lowlights. Now, let’s discuss what exactly he will bring to this Sixers team, and why he will stand out.
3. Spaces the floor for Embiid and Simmons
Elton Brand has made it his mission the past summer to fill the floor with non-shooters. Alec Burks, however, is a shooter alongside his teammate from the Warriors, Glen Robinson III. Although Burks is not the lights out shooter the Sixers so desperately need, he is a very good shooter nonetheless.
Of players who shoot the three on at least four attempts per game, Furkan Korkmaz is the only player on the Sixers shooting it above league average at 38.1 percent. Burks is a career 36 percent three-point shooter, and is currently shooting at 37.5 percent for the year — already slotting him as the second best shooter on the Sixers.
On corner threes, Burks is shooting 41 percent, per Cleaning the Glass. He is also shooting 38.3 percent on catch-and-shoot type shots, which will be important when spacing the floor for Simmons and Embiid. Despite being an efficient catch-and-shoot threat, he has a higher frequency of shots off pull-ups, and that leads us to the second asset he brings to the Sixers.
2. Shot creation
Something the Sixers might’ve needed even more than shooting, is shot creation. Off pull-up threes, Burks is currently shooting 37.5 percent. There hasn’t been any other player able to do that for the Sixers except for Trey Burke, who has been waived in order to make space for Burks and Robinson III.
Threes aren’t the only part of his game either. Burks is not afraid to draw fouls. He is currently going to the line 4.7 times a game — almost two more attempts than Tobias Harris. The Sixers only have two players who consistently get to the line, and that is Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Having that third player who isn’t afraid to take contact will create opportunities for the Sixers. He is shooting it at an outstanding percentage as well — 89.7 percent from the line, which ranks 11th in the NBA.
Burks is not afraid of the moment, and he is also not afraid of advanced statistics. Burks takes more mid-range shots than anything else. He is shooting 44 percent on long twos (outside of 14 feet), per Cleaning the Glass. Obviously, on the Sixers, he will be asked to stand behind the three-point line more than anything; but if an opportunity arises for Burks, he won’t be afraid to try to get to the line or get in his comfort zone in the mid-range.
1. Ball handler in halfcourt
Simmons has been exploited as a roller in the pick-and-roll a lot recently. But how many times have you seen the ball handler unsuccessfully pass to Simmons. It happens too often and this is where Alec Burks can help.
Burks is a decent playmaker, averaging 3.1 assists per game for the season. He is a decisive enough passer and good at finding the open man. We’ll see if coach Brown decides to run this, as Simmons can finally have the ball delivered to him on the roll.
With Simmons taking more of a step back when it comes to handling the ball — Josh Richardson and Shake Milton are the ones who have been taking care of it more and more — it wouldn’t be surprising to see Alec Burks take up that position as secondary ball handler. He has the handles and vision to play that role, and it is something he has done all year with Golden State.
Burks is obviously not the game-changing player that will turn the Sixers season around. But he is good at what the Sixers need him for, and it will also give them that much needed scoring depth on the bench. Now that you know the name, let’s hope Alec Burks is a name we’ll remember after the season.