The New York Knicks’ standing in the NBA’s Eastern Conference is in peril after they suffered a loss to the Atlanta Hawks in a poor showing. In the loss, it has become apparent that Alec Burks has been a disappointment.
On Tuesday night, the Knicks were unable to keep their momentum after a nice win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. Losing to the Hawks is bad enough, but it is even worse when taking into consideration they were without Trae Young.
The Knicks were also short-handed in this one without Jalen Brunson, who was out with the knee injury he suffered against the Cavaliers. While it is good that the injury doesn’t seem serious for Brunson, they certainly could have used him against the Hawks.
In the loss, the Knicks were only able to score 100 points against a Hawks team that isn’t known for their defense. As a team, the Knicks shot under 40 percent from the field, as Donte DiVincenzo led the way with 21 points, but he was very inefficient from the field.
With Brunson out, New York knew they would be relying on Miles McBride and Alec Burks at point guard, and it is clear who is the backup for Brunson now. McBride got the start and played 46 minutes in the loss.
For the Knicks, seeing McBride playing so many minutes is a bit of a disappointment, as they don’t believe Burks is capable of contributing. Seeing Burks struggle again against the Hawks is discouraging. He was brought in at the trade deadline to provide depth at the guard position, and likely to be the backup to Brunson.
In his last 10 games, Burks is only shooting 32.3 percent from the field and it seems he is close to being out of the rotation. Once Brunson comes back, it would be likely that Burks is no longer in the rotation for the Knicks, as McBride has seemingly earned the trust of the coaching staff moving forward.
Unfortunately, Burks hasn’t played well for the Knicks since the trade, but he must stay ready as opportunities can still come up for him.
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