BORN: 16/05/2001
LAST TEAM: Youngstown State Penguins (NCAA)
HEIGHT: 201 cm
WEIGHT: 95 kg
PRO
- Movements off the ball
- Defense
- Atlhleticism
WEAKNESSES
- Shooting range (3P to confirm)
- Scoring player
- Rim protector
VIDEO
ACTUAL
POTENTIAL
INTRODUCTION
D.J. Burns, after two seasons at Southern, decided to transfer to the ambitious Murray State, following in the footsteps of Ja Morant. In this rapidly rising basketball program, he stood out for his defensive versatility and was the perfect complement to K.J. Williams and Tevin Brown, who were both much more productive on the offensive end. The results were the best season record ever for the Racers and reaching the second round of the tournament. For his last year, he moved to Youngstown State Penguins, where he’s a double-double machine.
PHYSICAL
D.J. Burns is an energetic and hustle player, with good athleticism tools but without a big size to play inside. Fast and capable of running the court well, he possesses lateral mobility that allows him to move on the outside without excessive struggles. He may have difficulty with physical contact under the boards, but makes up for it with the adrenaline of a fighter and greater explosiveness to ensure a presence on rebounds.
OFFENSIVE PHASE
D.J. Burns is a very fast player, capable of moving effectively without the ball, but he ventures little beyond the mid-range, and the last three-pointer he scored was in 2019. Perhaps a somewhat limited inside player, but fearless, he attacks the basket – even from the dribble when directly opposed by a big man – and most of his points come from easy layups or put-backs, as he is a very effective offensive rebounder, averaging over 3 in seasons with Murray State.
*In his graduate season with the Penguins, he worked extensively on his three-point shooting in spot-up situations, and the signs are very encouraging (33.7% on 2.9 attempts per game), potentially making him an extremely versatile player in the offensive phase (EDIT: 24/02/2024)
DEFENSIVE PHASE
D.J. Burns’ mission is to defend his own basket, and he is able to do so in every situation with energy and sacrifice. Although he incurs a cost in terms of fouls committed (2.6 in 25 minutes with the Racers in the 2022/23 season), he is capable of holding his ground on the perimeter against faster opponents. His strength lies in his timing on help defense without going for unlikely blocks (just 0.5 per game), opting instead to force penetrations. He may struggle against particularly massive opponents in static situations where he cannot effectively utilize his greater mobility.
IMPROVED AREAS
Expanding the shooting range and earning more respect in the offensive half will undoubtedly be one of the priorities (EDIT: in development with the Penguins). Increasing muscle mass and sculpting the body better – without affecting its speed on the court – may allow him to have a greater impact in physical gameplay situations. In terms of on-court demeanor, the ability to elevate and engage the audience may resemble John Brown III, who has a similar athletic profile.