Congrats to Pat Burke!

[MastersofCombat]

I really think his explosiveness off the bench warrants more time in the rotation. His defense is suspect but his energy is really needed!

PS: Im not a Burke fan that yells for him at the end of a game, but he has assets that I think Mike D doesnt take serious enough. He could be an asset simply by his desire to succeed.

 

[dodie53]

appreciation is a great thing..

 

[Divide Et Impera]

He did very well in the 4 minutes he played. Yes, he had a couple matador moments on D, but (1) he's not there for D, (2) he was directly involved in that series where POR missed 3-4 layups in succession and (3) he did give a couple hard fouls that prevented easy buckets. If last night is any indication, I think he could work himself into the rotation to the tune of about 8-10 minutes solid every game....

 

[HooverDam]

8-10mins a game might be excessive, but I'd love to see Pat get in for 4-6 minutes a game like he did last night. Any rest the main guys can get is much appreciated and if Pat can become more reliable and work himself into the system, it will certainly pay dividends down the road.

 

[BirdMan21]

As long as Pat goes in and plays normal NBA player basketball for someone who is 6'11....I think he can help this team. Its when he goes in and doesn't get below the three point line that he is of no help.

 

[DeAnna]

I was pleasantly surprised with his athleticism.

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't understand the logic that Burke has to take shots (especially 3 point shots) to please the fans at home games whereas on the road he can play a more fundamental game.

If Burke would play a physical inside game, play a little defense, rebound and take medium range jumpers when open I would be more than happy with his game. I have been a Pat Burke critic because he has not done so. The last two games I have seen him play he has been a pleasant surprise. He does possess some nice athleticism for a big man... which has made it all the more frustrating when he was just playing to the crowd.

 

[KingofCards]

He is on NBA access right now.

I thought he was from Ireland. He doesn't have an Irish accent.

 

[DeAnna]

He is on NBA access right now.

I thought he was from Ireland. He doesn't have an Irish accent.

Irish-born, but raised in the USA.

 

[KingofCards]

Ahhh.... Thanks.

 

[TucsonDevil]

He is on NBA access right now.

I thought he was from Ireland. He doesn't have an Irish accent.

Where is this?

 

[Treesquid PhD]

I don't understand the logic that Burke has to take shots (especially 3 point shots) to please the fans at home games whereas on the road he can play a more fundamental game.

If Burke would play a physical inside game, play a little defense, rebound and take medium range jumpers when open I would be more than happy with his game. I have been a Pat Burke critic because he has not done so. The last two games I have seen him play he has been a pleasant surprise. He does possess some nice athleticism for a big man... which has made it all the more frustrating when he was just playing to the crowd.

Having the token white off the bench not come in and pump up threes is like putting on a condom to sit and chat.

 

[arthurracoon]

He is on NBA access right now.

I thought he was from Ireland. He doesn't have an Irish accent.

yup, i saw that too

 

[msdundee]

I don't understand the logic that Burke has to take shots (especially 3 point shots) to please the fans at home games whereas on the road he can play a more fundamental game.

If Burke would play a physical inside game, play a little defense, rebound and take medium range jumpers when open I would be more than happy with his game. I have been a Pat Burke critic because he has not done so. The last two games I have seen him play he has been a pleasant surprise. He does possess some nice athleticism for a big man... which has made it all the more frustrating when he was just playing to the crowd.

It isn't a matter of playing at home vs. playing on the road -- it's a matter of timing. When the Suns are 15-20 points ahead and Burke comes in for 2-3 minutes of garbage time the fans will probably still call for the long shots. If the Suns are at home and Burke comes in early in the game like he did last night, fans at the arena will be looking for the same type of performance as you're looking for.

 

[mribnik]

Pat Burke looked very agile for his size in the moments I saw him last night. He also had a relatively quick jump, which helped him get an offensive putback dunk as well as a defensive goaltending call. It also seemed like he knew where to go and how to get open in the pick 'n roll. His performance definitely earned him a shot at 5 minutes a game or so, which doesn't sound like much, but with this team, 5 minutes could be huge.

 

[jenna2891]

Pat Burke looked very agile for his size in the moments I saw him last night. He also had a relatively quick jump, which helped him get an offensive putback dunk as well as a defensive goaltending call. It also seemed like he knew where to go and how to get open in the pick 'n roll. His performance definitely earned him a shot at 5 minutes a game or so, which doesn't sound like much, but with this team, 5 minutes could be huge.

that was awesome.

 

[Feeble Mcjackson]

I dont understand why coach did not give Burke more minutes. He was playing effecient and the team was not slipping without him.

 

[azirish]

It was a nice performance by Burke. Not great, but he showed why he's on the active roster. On offense I think he shocked the Blazers who had NO scouting report on him.

On defense, he looked like a guy has almost no minutes with the main guys. He was indecisive and slow on the defensive rotations. He needs to play more if the Suns hope to have him even moderately effective on the defensive end.

I think it worth remembering that Burke was reliable offensive threat in Europe (which is where he played most of his professional career after graduating from Auburn). Like a lot of Euro bigs, he's used to shooting from the outside. What's encouraging is that he can also attack the basket.

As for three point shooting, I'm not sure he could have done worse than the rest of the guys last night.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

If we could give Pat Burke's energy and enthusiasm to Boris Diaw we would have a 4th all star.

 

[SO91]

It was nice to see him do a pretty decent job during those 4 minutes played. Until the team recovers from injury, and even afterwards during foul trouble it would be nice to see what he can do when there's no dominant big on the other team.