D.J. Burns gets high praise from his NBA prototype

D.J. Burns has taken March Madness by storm. His physique would have you guessing he plays a trench position on the football side (maybe he can?!). Instead, he's a mobile center who has court vision better than most other players in the tournament, and a knack for passing.

Burns and NC State basketball have been on an improbable run -- on the women's and men's side of the tournaments, I might add -- since the ACC Tournament. The Wolfpack needed to win out the tourney in order to qualify for March Madness, and they did.

They've now won nine consecutive games, with Burns averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game in just 25 minutes per game. They're onto the Final Four.

Nikola Jokic lights up talking about D.J. Burns

Nikola Jokic was watching NC State defeat Duke before he spoke with the media on Sunday, and spoke briefly on Burns's play.

Notable here is how excited Jokic is to talk about Burns, since Jokic often seems unexcited about just about everything. Even as the Nuggets were in a title pursuit last season, he seemed more interested in wrapping the season up so he could get home to Serbia to see his horses rather than excited about the success itself.

Jokic is perhaps the only player in NBA history that could serve as an archetype for how Burns could break into the NBA as well. Jokic is a similar player in terms of build and playstyle. He came into the league pudgy and raw, eventually turning into one of the game's best passers and centerpieces. Burns' has great vision, a selfless temperament, and an immovable frame that is reminiscent of how Jokic has become a two-time MVP in the league.

Like Jokic's love of non-basketball activities, too, Burns is multi-faceted. He can play at least four (4!) instruments.

As of now, it's hard to see Burns being drafted into the league, but there's a path for him to make it in as an undrafted free agent and stick with a team. The longer the Wolfpack stays in the tournament, though, the more exposure he gets and the more scouts and general managers will see him performing at the highest competitive level in the college ranks. If he continues to impress, maybe it gets him a flier pick in the late second round... just like Jokic once was.

The biggest barrier to Burns getting a flier in the NBA at this point might be NFL general managers trying to give him the same opportunity.