Alec Burks Made a Strong Case to Crack Sixers' Playoff Rotation as a Backup PG

With only 26 games left in the NBA season, the playoffs are rapidly approaching. Although the Philadelphia 76ers aren't quite where they want to be within the Eastern Conference standings, it has become quite evident they will make their third-straight appearance in the postseason this year.

So now, at this point, Sixers' head coach Brett Brown is prepared to find out which players will crack the playoff rotations. During the regular season, Brown tends to use ten players with his rotations. As we know, though, that number will have to go down when the postseason rolls around.

In previous years, Brown liked to utilize only eight guys for his playoff lineups. This year, though, the Sixers' head coach revealed he's looking for a solid nine players to depend on when the playoffs roll around. He knows who the obvious suspects are, but there are a couple of players who still need to prove their worth before the playoffs arrive.

Therefore, this next stretch of games becomes a tryout. While Brett Brown doesn't want to label it as such, he admits that's what it's going to be moving forward. And soon, the rotation will figure itself out, and Brown will begin to utilize a heavier dose of his nine-man playoff rotation. "You're going to start seeing it more during the final third," Brown revealed this past Thursday. "For the last two spots, it has to be competitive."

That statement came before Thursday's overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets. During the last matchup, the Sixers utilized their typical ten-man rotation, excluding the injured Ben Simmons. Without the All-Star in the mix, the Sixers struggled to find a reliable ball-handler as Raul Neto, and Josh Richardson both had a tough time.

Other prospects trying out for the playoff rotation in Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton, and Glenn Robinson also had quiet nights. Meanwhile, one of the newest Sixers, Alec Burks, made himself a solid case after he had his breakout game with the Sixers during just his second outing with the team.

Following the matchup, Brown was asked about where he stood regarding the backup point guard position now that he's seen a fair battle ensue amongst his potential prospects before playoffs. To no surprise, he was just as impressed with Alec Burks as everybody else was after the former Warriors' 19 point performance off the bench.

"He provided a scoring punch," Brown raved. "He was really a dynamic scorer, and the more I see his ability to pass out of the pick and roll, [the more I believe it] is elite." The Sixers' head coach then went on to talk about the other aforementioned prospects and admitted they didn't stand out as much at point guard from his viewpoint.

"So now you're wondering, might Alec [Burks] have something do with being a primary ball-carrier?" Brown asked. "Because he's a really good pick and roll player and passer. He stood out tonight. The other guys, I thought were solid. As far as standing out, [Alec Burks] did to me." Brown wasn't the only one to rave about Burks during the postgame.

Both, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid, were amongst those from the starting lineup, who saw something unique out of Burks. It was something the Sixers have missed all year long. From his shot creation to his fearlessness to launch three-point shots in critical situations, Burks gave the Sixers precisely what they were looking for from the trade market. Now, the team just has to hope he can stay consistent and accomplish what he was brought to Philly to do, which is become an essential piece for a deep playoff run this season.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_