The Utah Jazz will be getting some help for their final playoff push, as Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that shooting guard Alec Burks will return to the team this week.
“Barring a setback, injured Utah Jazz shooting guard Alec Burks will make his return to the lineup as early as Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, league sources tell The Salt Lake Tribune.”
Burks hasn’t been on the court a lot over the last few seasons, playing only 27 games last season and 28 thus far this season. Still, he’s been an effective player for the team when on the floor.
In the 2013-14 season, Burks played 78 games, averaging 14 points per contest, shooting 45.7% from the field, 35 percent on threes, and 74.8 percent on free throws. While he’s played less over the last few seasons, the averages have remained consistent, as he tallied 13.9 points per game while shooting 40.3-38.2-82.2 percent last season, and 14.3 points per game with 40.9-38.7-75.2 percentages this year.
Utah can certainly use all of the help it can get. The team is currently in a four-way race for the Western Conference’s final three playoff spots, battling with the Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets.
The Jazz and Mavericks are currently occupy the last two playoff spots with equal 38-38 records. Dallas presently holds the tiebreaker. Both teams two behind the sixth-seeded Trail Blazers and are one ahead of the ninth-place Rockets.
Tuesday’s game is the beginning of a vital stretch for Utah. It will play host to the Spurs and Clippers in consecutive games. After a one-game trip to Denver, the Jazz return home for the penultimate game of the season against Dallas.