Plenty of people knew Milwaukee Bucks rookie Brayden Burries would be good, but it still likely came as a surprise that it has happened this quickly. The guard has been phenomenal, playing tremendous basketball under Coach Taylor Jenkins. Growing at a rapid rate, Burries could already spark plenty of conversations about his true ceiling if his jumper starts falling with regularity.
Jumpers haven't been Burries' strong suit
On the season, Burries is shooting just 20-of-57 (35.1 percent) on his jump shots. A good chunk of those numbers come from long range, where he's shooting 8-of-36 (22.2 percent). Despite failing to sink these with regularity, Burries is averaging 10.5 points per game, a number that has climbed to 13 since being promoted to the starting five.
Right now, that jump shot is really the only blemish on his resume. The rookie has been a phenomenal rebounder all season, but his numbers have really stood out since joining the starters (8.3 per outing). It's also nice to see him pass the ball confidently and play stout defense against tough foes. Scoring in countless ways despite the inconsistent shot is, of course, reassuring as well.
Once that jump shot starts dropping, Burries could stake his claim as potentially the best player on the entire Milwaukee Bucks roster. He looks like a two-way star in the making. It's still surprising that the Bucks were able to snag him 10th overall in this past NBA Draft.
Burries has a jump shot in his arsenal
This isn't a Giannis Antetokounmpo situation where Milwaukee Bucks fans have to wish that Burries will develop a jumper at some point in his playing days. It's something he's already relied on in his basketball career. During his lone season at Arizona, the combo guard shot 39.1 percent on 4.6 3-point attempts per game. That's beyond respectable.
If he could shoot that percentage at the NBA level, his production would soar even higher.
It sounds cliche, but Burries just has to keep letting it fly, especially from three. So far, he is shooting a mere 3-of-15 (20 percent) on his "open" 3-point looks and 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) on his "wide open" triple tries. For a shooter of his caliber, one has to think those will start to drop soon, especially with all of the talented facilitators around him in the Bucks' lineup.
Keep letting it fly with confidence, rookie.
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