Healthy Nimari Burnett Could Be Alabama Basketball's X-Factor
Let's start with a story that may sound familiar.
A high school McDonald's All-American has a lackluster freshman season, leading him to transfer to Alabama. He then has to sit out his first year in Tuscaloosa due to circumstances out of his control, leading to a redshirt sophomore season where he looks to remind people how good of a basketball player he really is.
This sounds like exactly like what Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly recently went through, but the same story applies to Nimari Burnett.
The Chicago product was considered a strong four-star recruit and the No. 34 overall player in the Class of 2020 according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He was also selected as a McDonald's All-American. Burnett initially chose Texas Tech out of high school, choosing the Red Raiders over Alabama and Oregon.
In Lubbock, he saw limited playing time as a freshman. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 5.3 points per game on just 28 percent shooting from the floor. Burnett didn't feel like he fit in and entered the transfer portal in January 2021, before the team's season even ended.
Burnett opted for one of his top options out of high school, Alabama and head coach Nate Oats. Burnett was originally supposed to be a key piece on Alabama's 2021-22 roster, but his season was derailed by a torn ACL in September 2021, keeping him from suiting up for the Crimson Tide all last season.
After spending the offseason rehabbing, Burnett is back on the court and has progressed well in his recovery.
“Nimari has not been limited for a while now,” Oats said after an open practice for the media on July 29. “He can do everything in practice. [...] He’s looked good, too. He’s making shots, he’s attacking, he’s playing good defense.”
Burnett is the type of guard that Oats thrives with and that Alabama needed more of last season: two-way talents with with big frame and length.
Keon Ellis fit this mold in 2022 for the Crimson Tide, but he was really the only one. This was in stark contrast to the 2021 Sweet Sixteen team that boasted John Petty Jr., Josh Primo, and Ellis, along with Herb Jones, who often played a guard role.
Burnett's 6-foot-4 height is nice for a guard, but it doesn't jump off the page like his impressive lanky wingspan. His frame coupled with his defensive instincts and active hands are key to creating turnovers from deflections and steals leading to fast-break opportunities.
His frame also allows him to be an effective on-ball defender, as his long arms prohibit smaller guards from driving and shooting over him.
Offensively, he has a decent handle for an off-ball guard and he finishes nicely in traffic whether that be cutting and driving in half court sets or running in transition.
Burnett's outside shooting was not great at Texas Tech, posting a mere 17 percent from beyond the arc. However, once he got to Tuscaloosa in the summer of 2021, Oats raved about his shooting in practice prior to his injury, even stating after he went down that he had been shooting 60 percent from three in workouts.
Check out some examples of the on-court impact Burnett can have this season:
This first clip showcases the biggest defensive impact Burnett can have: creating turnovers. Even in limited playing time at Texas Tech, he still managed to rank second on the team in steals with 1.4 per game.
Burnett began the possession guarding his man as he flashed to the top to receive a pass. He recognized this and anticipated the pass, then used his extended reach to deflect the pass, pick up the steal, and throw down a dunk on the other end.
Everyone knows Alabama struggled defensively last season, and the fact that the Crimson Tide ranked in the bottom four in the SEC in steals reinforces that fact. Burnett's ability to turn defense into offense will be a welcome addition to the backcourt.
Burnett's length doesn't only allow him to create steals, but to come up with crucial blocks as well.
In the first clip against Troy, Burnett originally was guarding a bigger man but rotated over in help defense once his teammate got beat. As mentioned earlier, his length and wingspan cause difficulties for smaller guards, and that was demonstrated here. Burnett displayed disciplined defense by leaving his arms straight up for the contest which was enough to block the smaller guard.
Against Oklahoma State in the second clip, Burnett hustled back on defense during a fast-break scenario. He didn't get antsy and didn't jump too early, but showed poise and anticipation as he waited for the right time to go for the block.
When the offensive player went for the reverse layup he was met with a perfectly timed swat from Burnett, who used his lengthy reach to send the shot back down into the court.
Last season, Alabama ranked in the top-15 in the country in two-point percentage, so being able to finish at the rim is a must for Oats' guards.
Again, finishing both at the rim and through contact are some of Burnett's biggest offensive strengths.
The first clip against Sam Houston State shows a typical transition runout that will be common for Alabama fans to see as the Crimson Tide continually pushes the tempo. Burnett ran his lane straight down the court to receive the pass, and impressively finished the layup as he slid past the defender to avoid getting called for an offensive foul.
Facing Troy in the second play, Burnett grabbed the rebound himself on the defensive end and elected to push the floor as the primary ball-handler. This is also a common occurrence for Alabama guards when they grab a defensive rebound. Burnett finished an off-balance layup, completing a one-man fast break.
The final play is a standard catch-and-shoot on the right wing. Burnett's defender neglected to close out hard on the pass, so Burnett pulled up and made the defender pay.
Burnett does not have to shoot the alleged 60 percent from last summer's workouts to be successful in Alabama's system. If he can have a respectable enough three-point shot where he can knock down open looks like the one shown above, he can thrive off of his defensive intensity and finishing.
Not only is that his forte, it may be exactly what Alabama had been missing.
Burnett spoke to the media for the first time as an Alabama player at the end of July, and game some perspective on what he learned from the sideline last season.
“I learned a lot seeing things from a different perspective sitting on the sideline,” Burnett said. “Seeing things to their full perspective, from a coach’s perspective and seeing it for really what it is. I learned a lot about the offense, about the defense, about the coaches’ personalities more than I would have learned had I been on the floor. I learned a lot about the returning players’ personalities and how everything is constructed during the season."
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