THE FLATS – Jose Alvarado uses craftiness to earn rotation spot for Pelicans … Alvarado gets first career technical, Embiid pays his fine … Derrick Favors slipping in OKC rotation … Chris Bosh inducted into another hall of fame … Moses Wright gets NBA all-star votes … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
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CRAFTINESS HELPS ALVARADO CLAIM BACKUP ROLE FOR PELICANS
Craftiness is one quality that has allowed Jose Alvarado to burst his way into the Pelicans’ rotation as a rookie on a two-way deal. Tuesday, Alvarado tallied 11 points (4-of-11 FG), five assists, two steals and two blocks with zero turnovers in the first start of his NBA career.
Alvarado has seized the Pelicans’ backup point guard minutes in January. With four of the Pelicans’ regular starters sidelined Tuesday, Alvarado made a spot start.
Despite an enormous size disparity, Alvarado wasn’t afraid to mix it up with Embiid, an MVP candidate. A few minutes before they competed for the same jump ball, they were both assessed technical fouls for arguing with each other.
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EMBIID OFFERS TO PAY FINE FOR ALVARADO’S FIRST TECHNICAL
New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jose Alvarado on Tuesday received his first career technical foul after getting involved in a verbal altercation with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
The incident began to unfold in the second quarter. Embiid had his shot blocked by Willy Hernangomez and was then issued a personal foul for contact on Garrett Temple. He appeared to accidentally run into Temple after the block, which prompted words from Alvarado.
Alvarado and Embiid were then each hit with technical fouls.
Players that receive technical fouls are also fined $2,000 each for their first five infractions so Alvarado will be docked on his next check. However, Embiid, who is on a max contract, offered to pay the fine for Alvarado, who is signed to a two-way contract.
Alvarado produced 11 points (4-11 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals over 33 minutes during Tuesday’s 117-107 loss to the 76ers.
The undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech made his first career start with Devonte’ Graham, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart out with ankle injuries, and he tied for the team lead in assists and blocks. It was the first time all season Alvarado played more than 20 minutes in a game.
Alvarado experiences unique first meeting with Joel Embiid (Pelicans.com)
STORY: Joel Embiid is covering Jose Alvarado’s fine for their double tech Tuesday.
But why?
Embiid: “He plays hard. He competes. Even when he picked up the tech, he wasn’t backing down… He didn’t back down. I respected that. I like that about him.”https://t.co/4jTg1iTzbg
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) January 28, 2022
Joel Embiid on Jose Alvarado: “I just like his energy. He plays hard, he competes. Even when he picked up the tech, he wasn’t backing down.”
“I just felt like that’s the least I could do because I made him pick up the tech… I didn’t want him to lose that money.” pic.twitter.com/XLGnb9DORu
— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) January 28, 2022
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FAVORS SLIPS IN OKC ROTATION
Through 12 games this month since the start of 2022, Thunder veteran Derrick Favors has only played in four contests. With a combination of minor injuries and simply not being played when active, he’s been absent from the rotation in Oklahoma City of late.
In the month of January, Favors has played less than 60 total minutes, earning just two starts. With the Feb. 10 trade deadline inching closer, his situation in OKC is certainly one to monitor.
While he won’t be a player many teams will be proactively calling on, Favors has the largest payroll on the team this season as he makes roughly $9.7 million. As such, he’s one of the main levers the Thunder could pull in a larger, complex deal. Although Oklahoma City can absorb nearly any contract around the league into its cap space, Favors’ deal gives them extra flexibility.
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ANOTHER HALL OF FAME NOD FOR CHRIS BOSH
National Basketball Association Hall of Famer Chris Bosh was inducted into the Dallas ISD Athletic Hall of Fame in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday.
The 11-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Dallas where he won the Texas Class 4A State Championship in 2002, was named the High School Player of the Year by Basketball America and the PowerAde Player of the Year in Texas.
Bosh led Lincoln High School to an undefeated season and a state championship his senior year averaging 21.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 3 blocks a game.
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MOSES WRIGHT GETS NBA ALL-STAR VOTES
It has become an annual joke, one that NBA players keep repeating.
For the sixth consecutive year, players had the right to have a significant say in the process of deciding who will start the All-Star Game. The NBA uses a formula to do that now, with fan voting counting for 50% of the total, a media panel counting for 25% and the players themselves getting 25%.
And, also for the sixth consecutive year, most players didn’t take the process seriously.
Moses Wright, who has starred in the G League, played in one game, logging 88 scoreless seconds, for the Clippers. He got two starter votes.
Our player of the game presented by Four Points by Sheraton Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga is Moses Wright with 22 points, 2 steals, and 4 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/kU2VhUROgY
— AguaCalienteClippers (@ACClippers) January 25, 2022
Georgia Tech Alum/ @acclippers PF Moses Wright (@mant12_) game smooth and gets active around the rim🔥 22 pts last night for Wright vs Stockton Kings. #laclippers #nbagleague #georgiatech @ashtenjewell pic.twitter.com/DNQbagwxZi
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) January 25, 2022
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