Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton has exceeded all expectations this season, including those of Natalie Nakase, as the Golden State Valkyries head coach told reporters ahead of their matchup with the Phoenix Mercury. That's no easy feat, considering the talent Nakase has been around includes players like A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, as well as notable NBA players from her days on the Los Angeles Clippers coaching staff.
And in the same press conference, Nakase compared Burton's recent string of top-tier point guard play to the “Point God” himself, Chris Paul, who returned to the Clippers this past offseason.
“She's had multiple games of double-digit assists and zero turnovers. That's the Chris Paul era of me when I was with the Clippers,” Nakase stated.
“We would always challenge each other like, ‘Okay, let's see how many assists you can get,' but zero turnovers was a special element of being a point guard. And so, we constantly challenged her that turnovers was our [team's] problem, right? With [Burton] leading us in that type of stat of 14 assists, zero turnovers, especially against a team like Phoenix. They are top in defense, so credit to her to always take on the challenge of what this team needs and what we need in order to win.”
Only four players have recorded a double-digit assist, zero turnover, line this season, with Natasha Cloud, Courtney Williams, and Leila Lecan being the other players in the club with Burton. But what separates Burton from her counterparts is that she is the only player to do so multiple times, having done so three times.
What's behind Burton's MIP leap this season?
Burton's floor general, CP3-esque play this season is a big reason why the 24-year-old guard is a frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award. And a big question regarding Burton's big leap this season is how and why.
Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets, whose team was on the receiving end of Burton's turnover-free playmaking, believes the coaching staff has played a big part in her growth this season.
“I've been very impressed with her growth from last year to this year,” Tibbets told reporters in his pre-game press conference.
“The coaching staff has done a great job of putting the ball in her hands and positions to be successful. Putting the ball in her hands, putting her in situations to be successful, and she's taken advantage of it. She's playing with a ton of confidence, she gets downhill, she gets to the free-throw line, she guards at a high level.”
It's a sentiment that echoes Nakase's perspective. The Valkyries' coach has emphasized all season long that Burton made the most out of the opportunity presented to her after the team selected her in the expansion draft. Burton reported to Nakase and the Valkyries well before training camp, which impressed the first-year head coach right from the get-go. But beyond the hard work Burton's done on the court, Nakase also pointed out that her point guard is a willing learner.
Burton asks questions after every practice, every film session, and every game. According to her coach, the first thing Burton does when the team gets on the plane during a road trip is her own tape from the previous game so she can identify where she can improve. So in Nakase's eyes, the answer to Burton's leap is her 24/7 work ethic.
The new focal point of the Valkyries
With Golden State currently suffering a wave of injuries to many of their key players, they've had to figure out on the fly who and where to turn to on offense. And the answer has been Burton, who's been the Valkyries' most consistent player all season and has started every single game for the team this season.
“Now I realize, especially with the last couple of games, she was able to sustain both our offense and defense– she's our heartbeat. Let's just be honest,” Nakase stated in the same press conference. “The way she was able to defend multiple players last game, get rebounds, dive on the floor, and be our priority threat, I would say offensively. Getting downhill, getting and-ones, [and] making the right plays.”
Basketball has a funny way of coming full circle. Nakase first made her inroads into high-level professional basketball coaching when she joined the Lob City-Doc Rivers' Clippers in 2012. A team built on Paul's unparalleled point guard prowess. And now, in her first season as a head coach, she may have found a player of similar stature. A point guard who can control the tempo of the game on both sides of the ball.
And maybe, if she continues at the rate she's improving, she will be a point guard who can be the focal point of a very good basketball team.
