Westchester Knicks: Trey Burke Packs His Leadership In A Carry-On
There’s no shame in being sent down to play in the NBA G-League. There are times when development is needed and there are others when GM’s make mistake by signing or drafting wrong players and forcing out the good ones. As far as the New York Knicks go, their PG position is a carousel of rookies, free agents, and bench players. While they are struggling to find the right person to lead them, the Westchester Knicks have no such problem. Trey Burke is the clear leader in White Plains, NY and beyond.
The Westchester Knicks began their season with a heartbreaking loss and since then went on a downward spiral. But, it was only temporary as Trey Burke not only found his range but his leadership as well. The Knicks are dealing with a roster of once good college players, however, Burke provides the team with experience. While this is his first season in the G-League, he does have four years of experience in the NBA to draw on.
The Knicks are one of the few teams with such a veteran presence at the lead position. Burke has spent time with the Utah Jazz playing with the likes of defensive ace Rudy Gobert, then heading to Washington to back up All-Star John Wall. But, Burke was far from a benchwarmer during his time. In his three seasons with the Jazz, he started a total of 111 games while averaging 12 points and 4 assists.
Trey Burke so far in November: 23.1 points / 3.5 rebounds / 5.8 assists 👌🏾
Two more chances to see him at the County Center this month:
Monday, Nov. 27 at 7PM
Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 11AM👉🏾https://t.co/m9RGHIPHMP pic.twitter.com/zuDVKxxGpd
— Westchester Knicks (@wcknicks) November 21, 2017
As Burke looks to make his way back to the NBA, he’s making a strong case for being not only what the Westchester team needs but also what the NYC team needs as well– a leader. What has turned the Knicks season around has been the strong play of Burke on the road. The Knicks sit at 6-3 on the season but 4-1 away from White Plains. That’s a hard thing to do no matter what league you’re playing in.
During the season, Burke has averaged 19.5 points, 6.3 assists and shot 47.5 percent from the field at home. But, his true value has come on the road where he averages 26.6 points, 5.4 assists and shoots 49.5 percent from the floor. Anyone can score, but it takes a leader to silence a crowd.
Burke has been in big games before, he has NBA playoff experience and dating back to his days at Michigan, he’s not afraid to take the big shot. While the Westchester Knicks will look to continue their streak (three straight wins), they will look to Burke to get them there. While he’s making the tough shots, the New York Knicks should be keeping tabs as well.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
