Nick Crain | 1/21/23

Even with NBA League Pass, it’s tough to watch every player across the league closely. The biggest names always rise to the top, but there’s quite a few athletes that are doing incredible things but not getting as much credit as they deserve. Leveraging ProFitX, we can quickly identify players that are flying under the radar or quietly having tremendous seasons. One of those players in the 2022-23 campaign is Alec Burks, who is emerging as a highly impactful player in this league. What should you know about the Detroit Pistons guard as he continues to rise as an underrated player?

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Current Production Value

Burks remains one of the most underrated players in the entire league, performing at a high level for nearly every team he’s played for. This season with a rebuilding Detroit team, he’s emerged as one of the best perimeter shooters in the entire NBA. While the Pistons haven’t taken the step forward they anticipated, he’s still been a great piece. Whether they keep him longer term or flip him at the trade deadline, the acquisition of Burks has been a good one.

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Key Attributes

Again, the 3-point shooting is what has made Burks special this season. However, he’s also shown steady improvement in many other offensive skillsets. Although he’s played just over 20 minutes per game off the bench, the veteran has made the most of his time on the court. He’s averaging 30 points per 100 possessions and is having the most efficient season shooting in his career.

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Important Roles

As good as Burks has been offensively, he’s got room for improvement on defense. Given he’s 6-foot-6 with a strong frame, he should have more upside on that end of the floor than he’s shown. Even then, his ability to be a playmaker and volume scorer as a reserve has been a huge lift for Detroit. Burks is averaging 13.6 points per game, which is his highest mark since the 2019-20 season.

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Offensive Hot Spots

While the perimeter shooting of Burks at 44.4% on over four attempts this season has been impressive, his midrange game has also been incredible. At all three levels, he’s proven to be efficient and has generated multiple hot zones in ProFitX’s Position Versatility module. On the offensive side of the ball, few have been more impactful this season on a per-minute basis.