Michigan Basketball: Trey Burke on a roll with New York Knicks

Since his promotion from the G-League, former Michigan basketball star Trey Burke is earning more and more playing time from the New York Knicks.

It’s funny how things work sometimes, but after seeing his career hit rock bottom, former Michigan basketball alum Trey Burke is on a roll with the New York Knicks.

When Burke left the Wolverines after just two seasons, he was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the ninth overall pick. Yet, after three seasons in Utah, Burke wasn’t the player he was expected to be, although he averaged 10 points or more in all three seasons in Utah.

Last season, Burke played with the Wizards and while he wasn’t great, he did show signs of getting better. Mainly, he connected on 44 percent of his 3-point shots, which was a career high. That came after shooting just 31, 33 and 34 percent in his first three NBA seasons.

His overall field goal percentage also increased the past two seasons. After shooting under 40 percent in his first two NBA seasons, Burke shot 41 percent during his last season with the Jazz and 45 percent last season with Washington.

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That’s why it was kind of strange Burke didn’t get more attention in free agency. Obviously, he wasn’t going to be given a starting point guard job. But as he is proving with New York, he’s more than capable of being a solid backup. Yet, now that he is playing so well with the Knicks, he might not be far away from starting.

So far, it’s only been six games, however Burke is averaging 9.3 points and 3.8 assists per game in just 13 minutes. He’s also knocking down 65 percent of his shots and has scored 18 in his last two outings.

What makes Burke’s renaissance in New York even better is that it’s coming alongside Tim Hardaway Jr., his former Michigan basketball teammate. Hardaway, who signed a big contract with the Knicks in the offseason, is scoring 18 points a game.

Either way, its good to see both producing in the NBA. Burke’s career hasn’t gone as planned, but it’s never too late to turn it around.

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If he continues playing well, he will certainly earn more minutes and maybe even a chance to start somewhere next season. Whether it’s with the Knicks or someone else, it’s good to see Burke playing like his old self again.