THE FLATS – Moses Wright earns invite to NBA Combine, while Jose Alvarado is invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp … Derrick Favors thriving in role of supporting actor for Jazz … Chris Bosh’s travel advice … Kammeon Holsey giving back to hometown … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
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WRIGHT, ALVARADO RECEIVE COMBINE, G LEAGUE CAMP INVITATIONS
Moses Wright was one of 69 players invited to the Microsoft Surface NBA Draft Combine 2021, which will be held June 21-27 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago. The Microsoft Surface NBA Draft Combine 2021 is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to NBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm on July 29. Players will conduct interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting and strength and agility drills June 22-25. ESPN2 (June 24) and ESPNU (June 25) will provide coverage of the five-on-five games from 3-7 p.m. ET each day.
Jose Alvarado was one of 40 NBA draft prospects selected Monday to participate in the NBA G league Elite Camp that begins Saturday (June 19-21) at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The 2021 NBA G League Elite Camp gives players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NBA and NBA G League scouts, coaches and front-office executives by playing in five-on-five games and participating in strength and agility drills throughout the three-day event. A select number of players from the NBA G League Elite Camp will be invited to participate in the 2021 NBA Draft Combine based on their performance. The NBA Draft Combine will be held June 21-27 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
Both players have been training and working out for NBA teams over the past month, but has kept his college eligibility intact in the event he decides to return to Georgia Tech as a fifth-year senior.
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ALVARADO RATED ONE OF NBA DRAFT’S BIG SLEEPERS
Alvarado also has been rated one of the NBA draft’s biggest sleepers by Sports Illustrated along with guard/forward RaQuan Gray from Florida State, point guard Jason Preston from Ohio, guard/forward Dalano Banton from Nebraska, and forward/center E.J. Onu from NAIA school Shawnee State.
Jeremy Woo writes: “While Alvarado projects as a second-rounder at best, he has a real chance to make a roster and help a team in short order, and he looks like a potential bargain for a team willing to roll the dice. Although he didn’t receive full credit—teammate Moses Wright won Conference Player of the Year honors—there’s a real case to be made that Alvarado was the best player in the ACC last season. It was the culmination of his run as a four-year starter, in which Georgia Tech improved each year.”
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FAVORS THRIVING IN ROLE OF SUPPORTING ACTOR
About five years ago, Quin Snyder brought in four-time NBA All-Star Doug Collins to talk to his Utah Jazz team. One seed of advice Collins offered to the players back then is bearing fruit during the team’s current push for the franchise’s first NBA title.
“He said, ‘Be a star in your role,’” recalled 6-foot-9 backup center Derrick Favors. “And I kind of took that to heart because it made perfect sense for me.”
Favors has played fewer minutes per game this season than at any time in his career. Yet, it could be argued that second-for-second, each of those minutes packs more punch.
During the opening game of the Jazz’s second-round series against the Clippers on Tuesday, Favors spent less than 15 minutes on the floor. Yet his defensive hustle, punctuated by two blocks, three defensive rebounds and a steal, made it so Snyder didn’t have to rush to reinsert presumptive Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The Jazz would eventually win the game, 112-109.
More from the Salt Lake Tribune
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HOW I TRAVEL: CHRIS BOSH
If you’re one of NBA Hall of Famer Chris Bosh’s five young children, you typically need to keep your tiny carry-on bag packed at all times. “As a family, we’ve always loved traveling,” says the eleven-time NBA All-Star. “We’ve taken our kids to the Vatican, Rome, Florence—we’ve done the whole Italian backpacking experience.” Since last March, though, they’ve been staying closer to home in Texas. “We’ve done more hiking and things locally here in Austin that keep the kids active,” Bosh says.
Kids are the focus of his new book, Letters to a Young Athlete, in which he shares hard-fought lessons from his life on the court and via fellow legends like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. In anticipation of the book, out now, Bosh chatted with Condé Nast Traveler about his first unforgettable first-class flight, missing New York, and the city in France more Americans should see.
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HOLSEY RETURNS HOME FOR COMMUNITY DAY
Former Georgia Tech star forward Kammeon Holsey returned Saturday to show love to his hometown in Sparta, Ga.
Athletes have significant impacts on the communities they come out of, even moreso when that community is a small one like Hancock County. Holsey hosted his second annual community fun day at his old grade school, Southwest Elementary School in Devereux.
Holsey won a state championship at Hancock County High School before playing college ball at Georgia Tech and then professionally overseas. Like another former Tech star, Chris bosh, Holsey has written a book, entitled “Kam’s 30-Day Devotion: A Life Lived Without God is Incomplete,” which will be released later this summer.
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#ProJackets on Social Media
The Laminator Ben Lammers (@GTMBB) the drive and the foul! @albaberlin has clawed all the way back in Game 2 of the @easyCreditBBL Finals #easyCreditBBL #FinalsBaby #PlayoffsBaby pic.twitter.com/OASTSjFKnw
— FTF (@ForTheFansHQ) June 10, 2021
Not only is @yungsmoove21 a forward for the @chicagobulls he’s also the founder of Reform Ventures and an investor in Trufan. This week he joined the podcast to discuss his off-the-court businesses and investment portfolio.
Tune in 👇https://t.co/ZYw5Q18c2u pic.twitter.com/oPV46iwzQo
— Trufan (@trufan_io) June 14, 2021
Dad I’m ready to start playing basketball 🏀 really? No more volleyball 🏐🤔🤫😉 #LeaveIt #GirlDadAlert pic.twitter.com/KsHMeAk60S
— Dennis 3D Scott (@Dennis3DScott) June 14, 2021
The ACC POY is headed to the NBA Draft combine 🗣@mant12_ #TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/mDWSq0MH48
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) June 16, 2021
Don’t let anyone ever tell you “YOU CAN’T” cause look at me !👨🏻🎓…🏆 pic.twitter.com/0pCYB8nHYl
— Jose Alvarado (@AlvaradoJose15) May 8, 2021
#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 |
