THE FLATS – Derrick Favors and the Utah Jazz, Josh Okogie and the Timberwolves win their openers … Thaddeus Young missed the Chicago Bulls preseason and opener with a leg infection.
This week’s #ProJackets Report compiles more of the latest news, stories and social media posts on former Jackets and their activities of the past week.
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GOOD START FOR OKOGIE
Josh Okogie started at small forward and scored 12 points (4-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt) with four rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes in Wednesday’s win over Detroit in the season opener for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Okogie played the second most minutes on the team and was in the game for the key final minutes of the game. The defensive-minded guard/wing should be a steady presence in the lineup on a team otherwise in need of defense. He will need to improve his contributions on the offensive end to maintain his playing time, so his output and shooting were encouraging after a positive preseason.
Okogie started for the Wolves in both of their preseason games, scoring eight points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3pt FG) in 18 minutes of a win over Dallas.
From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: In that stretch run, coach Ryan Saunders revealed who he thought his best five of the night was. To close the last five minutes Saunders rode with Rubio, D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Okogie and Malik Beasley and they turned a 95-95 game with 5:15 to play into a 10-point win. Read more
VIDEO: Josh Okogie with a dunk vs. the Detroit Pistons
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FAVORS RETURNS TO JAZZ TO FIND A DIFFERENT STYLE OF PLAY
From KSLSports.com: For years, Derrick Favors played on methodical, defensive-driven Utah Jazz teams. As the league went toward a small-ball style, the Jazz countered with Favors and Rudy Gobert as two throwback bigs. Favors was only away from the team for one season, but, oh, how things have changed.
“It’s definitely a different style of play since I was here two years ago,” Favors said. “Guys getting a lot of threes, you got guys that can attack the paint, create open shots. … It’s a different feeling.”
From the Salt Lake Tribune: Inserting Favors into the midst of a group that vaulted to the league’s No. 1 offensive rating, post-Clarkson, acquisition seems to be a primary ingredient in this new recipe for progress.
“With Fav, it just opens up a lot of things. For all I know, with Quin’s crazy mind, we might start different guys each game,” Joe Ingles said. “It might be a matchup thing — like, obviously, the Lakers start big, so maybe Fav starts those games but not [against] other teams that are playing small. I definitely think it gives us more options with Fav.”
From The Athletic: If three preseason games are an indicator, gone are the grind-it-out Utah Jazz. Gone is the coach Quin Snyder offense that played a significant amount of possessions against a dwindling shot clock. Gone is a pace of play that resembles an NFL team that runs the ball.
In its place is a sleek new style that gets into possessions with urgency, throws up 3-point looks with aplomb and an offense that has the ability to snowball and roll over its opponent at any point of a game.
in the 🕳 pic.twitter.com/wBd6gV8JsN
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) December 24, 2020
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YOUNG BATTING LEG INFECTION
From Heavy.com: Chicago Bulls forward Thaddeus Young was listed as a starter a day ahead of the team’s Dec. 11 preseason opener against the Houston Rockets.
That morning he woke up expecting to play in the first game of his 14th year in the league. But as he was speaking to reporters, his left leg was hit with a numbing sensation. When Young arrived to the United Center, he said his leg had swelled even further, causing a considerable amount of pain — even through the numbness. A group of doctors identified his ailment was MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a staph infection that once threatened the career of Grant Hill.
Young, who has yet to take the court for a game, was cleared for physical activity for the first time on Dec. 21. How Young developed the infection is currently unknown.
While Young was declared inactive before the Bulls’ first preseason game, the Bulls’ forward did actually warm up on the United Center court just hours before tipoff. That is when his leg became numb and started to swell.
Young, about to embark on his 14th NBA season, had good things to say about new head coach Billy Donovan during camp: “He has a great track record with his players and he has done a great job so far of telling us what he needs out of us. We had a meeting (early in camp) and he took time to really sit down as a team and tell us, ‘These are the things we need to do to win basketball game(s) and these are the things we need to do in order to fight through this thing.’ I think he’s done a great job so far.’’
Season 14❤️🏀🙌🏾 @yungsmoove21 pic.twitter.com/WTGy9srcwZ
— Shekinah Young (@Mrs___Young21) December 22, 2020
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BOSH TALKS “REDEEM TEAM”, BEING A TEAM PLAYER
From the Olympic Channel: Chris Bosh was part of the USA’s men’s basketball team at Beijing 2008 nicknamed the ‘Redeem Team’.
Featuring a young LeBron James, an experienced Kobe Bryant, and a hungry Carmelo Anthony, this talented roster was tasked with winning gold after the disappointment of Athens 2004.
And Bosh was faced with a problem he had not encountered before.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Chris Bosh is the No. 8 leading scorer in NBA history among left-handed shooters? The Georgia Tech Hall of Famer scored 17,189 points in his 13-year career, hitting 49.4 percent of his shots from the floor. Bosh won back-to-back NBA Championships alongside Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Bosh was a threat from deep, but mostly did damage from the mid-range. His left-handed jump shot took him to 11 NBA All-Star games and the All-Rookie team in 2004.
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#ProJackets on Social Media
Merry Christmas🎄🎄🎄
— Derrick Favors (@dfavors14) December 25, 2020
😁🙏🏾
— Derrick Favors (@dfavors14) December 24, 2020
Wishing everyone an amazing Christmas! 🎅
— Thad Young (@yungsmoove21) December 25, 2020
HO HO HO JO pic.twitter.com/5rrQUxfc1j
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 26, 2020
Clampgawd Claus 🎄 pic.twitter.com/Dmu1rlrQ7D
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 25, 2020
𝙊𝙃 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝘿𝙄𝘿𝙉’𝙏 𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒?????? pic.twitter.com/UALwBh48Pf
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 21, 2020
Dennis Scott Christmas promo (1995)
NBA on NBC pic.twitter.com/T1wbF7nmje— 90s NBA (@NBA90s) December 25, 2020
I still got him right? #ItsTheHair He 15 now😕😟🙂 pic.twitter.com/4uQkah1StY
— Dennis 3D Scott (@Dennis3DScott) December 26, 2020
#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 |
