Utah Jazz sixth man, Alec Burks, hasn’t participated in one single game since the calendar turned to 2016.
In late December, Burks endured a broken fibula, which required a January surgery.
As we fast-forward to now, Utah sits in a deadlock race for a playoff berth. They’re currently tied with the Dallas Mavericks, but Mark Cuban’s squad holds the tie-breaker, giving them the 7th seed.
However, the Houston Rockets are only one game behind Utah for the lucrative eight spot.
Can Alec Burks be the extra boost head coach Quin Snyder needs?
“There’s a point where it’s not wise for him to go out until he’s hitting some watermarks,” Snyder said. “The progression includes everything from shooting, lifting, jumping, cutting, to playing one-on-one, playing three-on-three and he’s at a point where he’s much further along in the process, but we can’t say he’s there or that he’s going to be ready for Phoenix [on Sunday]. That’s basically the process that we’re in the middle of and it’s been ongoing since our doctors said his ankle’s healed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s cleared to play.”
While Burks may not be ready tomorrow, barring any major setbacks, it appears the Grandview product will be ready to go as early as Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs.
Before his injury, Burks was having a career year, averaging 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 dimes per game.
At times, Utah has struggled to put the ball in the basket, but with the return of Burks in line, he could be the piece to put them over the top.