When we profiled Nate Ament, we talked about players of his ilk likely being outside of the tier of players likely to be available for the Charlotte Hornets. Now, there are rumors about the Hornets trying to move up, which would bring another crop of players into the mix. One of those players is Brayden Burries, guard out of Arizona.
Measurements
Height: 6’3.75″
Weight: 215.4 pounds
Wingspan: 6’6″
Standing reach: 8’2.5″
Standing vertical: 35″
Max vertical: 38.5″
Strengths
Offensive versatility, defense, winning basketball
Hey look, that’s like all of basketball under the “strengths” section of the scouting report. On offense, Burries plays like an ideal second option. He wasn’t given the keys to score in isolation a lot, and he’s not an elite passer, but he makes the right plays and can create offense in a number of ways. He’s elite scoring in transition and loves to push after grabbing rebounds. He has a tight handle in the half court and is capable of attacking in either direction and finishing with either hand. He’s a very good scorer at all three levels. He has a little bit of bounce but is mostly a below the rim finisher with rip throughs and floaters the he creates space for using change of pace and direction. He’s also adept at pulling up off the dribble in the mid range and from three and is a capable spot up shooter as well.
Burries profiles as a back court defender that should be able to guard one through three depending on match-ups. He has quick feet and very, very active hands. It’s very obvious that he wants to be a good defender, which is like half the battle of being a good defender. He stays engaged on that end of the floor and is always trying to do little things to bother opponent possessions, whether it be digging at drivers dribbling past him, flying out of his area to contest shots, or jabbing at the ball handler to take them out of rhythm.
His play on both ends of the floor is emblematic of the motor that Burries possesses. He’s always moving and trying to impact the game. He makes the right play the majority of the time, and effort is never a question. He might not have the markings of a future superstar, but he does have the makings of a player that has a big impact on winning.
Question Marks
Age relative to his class, star talent
The nits to pick on Burries’ game are small. Even though he’s just a freshman by class, he still played the entire season as a 20 year old and will be 21 at the start of his rookie season. That’s similar to Brandon Miller back when he came out in 2023. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s not nothing.
Other than that, there aren’t many things to complain about with Burries’ game. He can do everything you’d want from a combo guard. The only thing that holds him back is that he’s not exactly elite in any one area. There’s no cut and dry superstar skill that he’s going to lean on when he gets to the NBA. You’re banking on his all around game being good enough to be impactful and the overall skill level to increase to reach his potential.
Overview
Burries might not have the pop as a creator to be a future superstar, but he has a combination of tenacity and skill level that tend to make players that opposing teams hate to play against. Like a guy that averages 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while mucking things up defensively and making timely shots on offense. I’ve seen comparisons ranging from Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Derrick White to Quentin Grimes thrown around, and I can see the vision. They all fit that mold of guys who aren’t first to your mind when you’re thinking about All Star talents, but all of them are extremely annoying to watch when your team is playing against them, and all of them help their teams win games without necessarily being super flashy about it all the time.
The Hornets are obviously in the market for a big, but they could use some more grit in their backcourt too if the opportunity presented itself. Burries has the skill set to fit in seamlessly with the more offensive minded guards and wings that currently litter the Hornets roster. He wouldn’t have a starting role right away, but imagine the Sion James and Josh Green minutes with a lot more scoring potential to go along with the defense and effort.
