Jazz guard Trey Burke available for NBA debut Wednesday vs. Pelicans
Jazz rookie Trey Burke should help a Utah offense that has been one of the league's worst. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Utah Jazz rookie Trey Burke, selected No. 9 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in last June's draft, will be available to make his long-awaited NBA debut Wednesday against New Orleans, according to a tweet from Jazz radio voice David Locke.
Burke went through a full practice on Tuesday, a little more than a month after the rookie broke his right index finger in mid-October and underwent surgery. He was initially expected to be out up to 12 weeks, but recent reports were more optimistic as it was estimated that Burke would miss approximately six weeks.
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The 21-year-old former Michigan standout is expected to play a vital role for a struggling Jazz team that ranks last in offensive production across the league, averaging just 92.2 points per 100 possessions. The team is shooting a collective 44 percent -- second-to-last in the NBA -- and is turning the ball over an NBA-high 18.8 percent of its possessions.
Heading into Wednesday night's game in New Orleans, the Jazz are at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 1-11 record.