Philadelphia 76ers: Ranking every player on the roster (April 2020)
8. Alec Burks
PRESEASON RANKING: N/A
The Sixers acquired Alec Burks in the same package that brought Glenn Robinson to Philadelphia. Burks was the main prize, and he has admittedly been underutilized to date. At some point, the Brett Brown deserves some level of criticism, even if a lion’s share of the blame falls on the front office for its poor roster construction.
Even underutilized, Burks has given the second unit a nice facelift. He checks a lot of important boxes for the Sixers — he’s a shooter, he’s a half-decent playmaker, and he can defend his position. He’s arguably the most playable wing in the second unit once the postseason rolls around.
Burks’ shooting numbers have dipped slightly since his arrival from Golden State, but one can expect positive regression in due time. Like Robinson, he’s probably a half-year rental. He will cost too much next summer. For the eventual postseason, however, the Sixers will be lucky to have his services.
As a top scoring option with the Warriors, Burks averaged a cool 16.1 points per game. He was both efficient and voluminous in his scoring, an impressive feat for someone who has been more afterthought than focal point for the majority of his career. All things considered, the price paid for Burks and Robinson at the deadline was a more than fair one.
Brown will need to develop a higher tolerance for Burks once the season resumes. He is too valuable to have such a restricted role in the second unit, especially if Shake Milton moves into the starting five permanently. Burks is a comparable threat from distance, and his ball-handling skills are essential to a second unit devoid of reliable playmakers.