Utah Jazz: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks

6. Alec Burks (2011)

All the way back in 2011 the Jazz selected Alec Burks 12th overall and continued to tease Jazz fans and NBA Twitter for years with his potential. For three years in the midst of his tenure in Utah (two of which shortened by injuries) Burks averaged 14.0 points, 13.9 points and 13.3 points on efficient shooting numbers. For a team with a lot of young talent waiting to pop Burks seemed like part of the core moving forward.

Injuries sidetracked any progress he could make with the team and was ultimately shipped out to bring back Kyle Korver in a potential win-now move by the Jazz. After splitting the season between Cleveland and Sacramento Burks landed with the Golden State Warriors at the beginning of this season, where he would average 16.1 points and 4.7 rebounds before the Sixers traded for him to shore up their bench.

Burks may never fully realize the potential that got him drafted as highly as he did but he can likely be a key reserve for a contending team. That is a positive return for the 12th pick in most drafts. The biggest knock on the pick for the Jazz comes with the players drafted after him. The four picks directly after him were Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris, Kawhi Leonard and Nikola Vucevic.

That being said this was a draft that many did not seem to have a good handle on. This was the Jazz’s second lottery pick in the draft and the lottery saw such luminaries as Jan Vesely, Derrick Williams and Jimmer Fredette taken in the top 10. While the Jazz did not make the most of this pick they certainly outperformed some of their colleagues and got a valuable rotation piece.