THE FLATS – Derrick Favors assumes 10th place in all-time scoring for the Jazz … Thaddeus Young getting more opportunities for the Bulls with newcomer Vucevic on the floor … Josh Okogie gets season high vs. the Celtics … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
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FAVORS REACHES TOP 10 IN ALL-TIME SCORING FOR JAZZ
When you have scored more than 7,000 points for one team, it’s hard to pick a favorite bucket.
Derrick Favors won’t soon forget the straight-away jumper that clinched a decisive Game 6 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018.
But a simple layup in the third quarter of a regular-season game might now mean just as much. That’s the bucket that moved Favors past Mehmet Okur (7,255) and into 10th place on the Utah Jazz’s all-time scoring list.
“When somebody told me, I took that moment and I took it in, like, ‘Damn! I’m top-10 scoring for an organization,’” Favors said. “It’s a blessing. It’s something I didn’t even think about coming into the NBA or even this year.”
Donovan Mitchell’s hilarious reaction to Derrick Favors’ shocking milestone
Derrick Favors is now top 10 in all-time Jazz scoring leaders 💙#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/2uJtgDROpt
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) April 9, 2021
got him 🚰 pic.twitter.com/qHnHKna9vG
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) April 9, 2021
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THADDEUS YOUNG REVEALS DETAILS BEHIND NEAR-RETIREMENT
Veteran forward Thaddeus Young has been a top contributor for the Chicago Bulls this season. But there was a time last offseason where he didn’t think he’d be here.
The Bulls are no doubt thankful he is. Even if their season ends up falling short of the playoffs, they’ll only have been close because of the 32-year old’s contributions.
After two years with the Bulls, Thaddeus Young thought he was ready to hang them up. In a guest appearance on Bulls Talk Podcast, he told Jason Goff and K.C. Johnson he actually contemplated retirement over the offseason.
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YOUNG GETTING MORE OPPORTUNITIES WITH ARRIVAL OF VUCEVIC
According to NBA.com, Vucevic is third in the NBA in post-ups per game (8.3) since joining the Bulls. One spot behind him is teammate Thaddeus Young (8.2), which is quite the change from how he was utilized early in the season.
When looked into further, this makes sense and is another example of Billy Donovan maximizing his players and putting them in the best positions to help the team. Vucevic spreads the floor a lot better and more efficiently than former center Wendell Carter Jr. The added space gives Young more space to work his sometimes unorthodox offense and take advantage of mismatches.
For example, an underrated thing Young does on the court is seal his defender very low under the basket. By the time he receives the pass, he is at the rim and there’s little his defender can do to prevent him from finishing.
Young delivered 20 points (10-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt), a rebound and an assist across 20 minutes in Monday’s loss against the Grizzlies.
Young was one of two Chicago players that reached the 20-point mark, but unlike Zach LaVine, he was extremely efficient from the field and made 10 of his 13 two-point attempts. Young has moved into the starting lineup in mid-March and his numbers have seen a boost as a result — he has scored in double digits in all but four of his starts and has posted three double-doubles in that 16-game span.
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OKOGIE SCORES SEASON-HIGH 16 VS. CELTICS
Josh Okogie posted 16 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four steals, three rebounds and one assist in 37 minutes during Friday’s overtime loss to the Celtics.
Okogie re-entered the starting lineup after missing Wednesday’s game (personal reasons) and had one of his most efficient games of the season. With Malik Beasley (hamstring) out for the next four to six weeks, the third-year guard should continue to start and play anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes a game for the last-place Timberwolves.
In the Wolves’ two games since, he scored six points in 37 minutes vs. Chicago (a win) and seven points in 18 minutes vs. Brooklyn (a loss).
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OKOGIE CONTINUES TO SPEAK OUT IN WAKE OF DEATH OF DAUNTE WRIGHT
One of the most vocal Timberwolves when it comes to issues of systemic racism and police brutality has been third-year guard Josh Okogie.
Okogie attended a downtown rally with center Karl-Anthony Towns after the death of George Floyd last May, has given interviews on the subject, appeared in a YouTube series for the Wolves discussing the issues and used his social media presence to amplify his voice.
Okogie posted a picture of himself with a T-shirt that read “Stop killing Black people” in response to the police killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center on Sunday. After Tuesday’s 127-97 loss to the Nets, Okogie again spoke passionately about his emotions in the wake of Wright’s killing with the trial of Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd happening at the same time in downtown Minneapolis.
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#PROJACKETS IN THE NBA/G LEAGUE IN 2023-24
| PLAYER | DATA | NUMBERS | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
 | JOSE ALVARADO Team: New Orleans Pelicans Number: 15 NBA Experience: 3rd year Years at Georgia Tech: 2017-21 Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y. Status: Active | 6-0, 179 lbs 2023-24 Stats 7.1 ppg 2.3 rpg 2.1 apg 41.2% FG | Record: 49-33 Standing: 7th place, -8.0 GB Streak: L1 Last 10: 5-5 |
 | JAMES BANKS III Team: Maine Celtics Number: 5 G League Experience: 3rd year Years at Georgia Tech: 2018-20 Hometown: Atlanta, Ga. Status: Active | 6-10, 250 lbs 2023-24 Stats 5.3 ppg 4.7 rpg 1.5 bpg 54.2% FG | Record: 21-13 Standing: 2nd place, -1.0 GB Streak: W1 Last 10: 8-2 |
 | MICHAEL DEVOE Team: Memphis Hustle Number: 10 G League Experience: 2nd year Years at Georgia Tech: 2017-21 Hometown: Orlando, Fla. Status: Active | 6-4, 183 lbs 2023-24 Stats 13.9 ppg 3.9 rpg 3.1 apg 47.4% FG | Record: 15-19 Standing: 12th, -9.0 GB Streak: W1 Last 10: 3-7 |
 | DERRICK FAVORS Team: Windy City Bulls (G League) Number: 14 NBA Experience: 12 seasons Years at Georgia Tech: 2009-10 Hometown: Atlanta, Ga. Status: Active | 6-9, 265 lbs 2023-24 Stats 6.2 ppg 4.7 rpg 0.7 bpg 66.7% FG | Record: 15-19 Standing: 13th place, -7.0 GB Streak: L1 Last 10: 4-6 |
 | JOSH OKOGIE Team: Phoenix Suns Number: 2 NBA Experience: 5 seasons Years at Georgia Tech: 2016-18 Hometown: Snellville, Ga. Status: Active | 6-4, 213 lbs 2023-24 Stats 4.6 ppg 2.6 rpg 1.1 apg 41.7% FG | Record: 49-33 Standing: 6th place, -8.0 GB Streak: W3 Last 10: 7-3 |
 | THADDEUS YOUNG Team: free agent Number: 30 NBA Experience: 16 seasons Years at Georgia Tech: 2006-07 Hometown: Memphis, Tenn. Status: Active | 6-8, 235 lbs 2023-24 Stats 4.2 ppg 3.0 rpg 1.7 apg 60.2% FG | Record: 49-33 Standing: 6th place, -8.0 GB Streak: W3 Last 10: 7-3 |
