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Former Michigan star Trey Burke (3) is averaging 16.2 points. 5.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 33.4 minutes per game over his last five games as a rookie point guard for the Utah Jazz.

(AP Photo | Rick Bowmer)

It's finally all happening for Trey Burke.

The former Michigan star watched and waited for 12 games. Sitting on the Utah Jazz bench as a surgically repaired finger healed, he was an onlooker for 11 losses -- coming by an average of 12.0 points -- and some of the ugliest offensive action in the NBA this season.

The ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Burke made his delayed NBA debut on Nov. 20 in New Orleans. It was a solid start -- 11 points over 12 minutes as a reserve in yet another Jazz loss.

In his second game, a road loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Burke again came off the bench, scoring five points to go with three assists and five rebound in 20 minutes.

A decent start, all around.

Then came the last six games.

Burke was inserted into the starting lineup. Everything changed.

After struggling through a 2-for-9 shooting night in his first game as a starter, Burke is averaging 16.2 points. 5.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 33.4 minutes per game over the last five games.

More importantly, the Jazz are 3-2 in that stretch, an unthinkable feat back when they were losing to 104-88 to the Nets and 115-91 to the Raptors.

In Utah's last outing, a 95-86 loss to the Central Division-leading Pacers, Indiana coach Frank Vogel called Burke "a heckuva basketball player," after the rookie scored 13 points and dished nine assists in 39 minutes.

"They’ve got a bright future here with him leading the way," Vogel added.

The praise is coming from inside and out.

"He's got guts, man," said Jazz forward Marvin Williams. "It's kind of exciting to watch him play and watch him grow each night. He's not afraid of big moments and we need that from him."

Often a killer in the clutch at Michigan, Burke has carried some of that flair for the dramatic to the pros.

In his second start, the 6-foot-1 guard helped send a game against Chicago to overtime with a running floater, then hit a huge 3-pointer to help seal a win in the extra period.

In his forth start, a 20-point performance against Phoenix, Burke hit a dagger 3-pointer with just over a minute left. The team's Desert News beat writer, Jody Genessy, wrote afterward, "The Jazz's starting point guard contributed four treys, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and oodles of moxie as he continues to look more comfortable and confident in the NBA."

Burke followed that on Monday with 21 points in a 109-103 win over Houston and posted seven points and six assists in the fourth quarter.

"He's getting better and he's only played a handful of games. It usually takes rookies a while to find that rhythm. We will continue to improve as he improves," Utah's Richard Jefferson, a veteran forward, told the Associated Press.

It isn't all roses and rainbows. Burke is shooting 40.8 percent from the field (31-76), a low mark for a point guard, and has, as rookies do, forced the issue at times.

But the good far outweighs the bad. He's committed just two turnovers in his last four games -- 133 minutes of playing time.

Once a bystander on the NBA's worst team, Burke is suddenly the catalyst for team slowly finding its stride.

Brendan F. Quinn covers University of Michigan basketball. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on Wolverines hoops. He can be contacted at bquinn@mlive.com