THE FLATS – The NBA playoffs continue from the NBA’s bubble at Disney’s Wide World of Sports, and all of the former Yellow Jackets in pro basketball are in off-season mode. Derrick Favors and Thaddeus Young have seen their coaches both fired, making their off-season plans even more uncertain. Even Josh Okogie has been the subject of some trade talk in the media.
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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FAVORS FREE AGENT TALK
From Pelican Brief: Derrick Favors was the New Orleans Pelicans primary center for 2019-20, but is unlikely to return unless he takes a huge paycut. Someone may be willing to give Favors much more than the Pelicans, so they should try to replace his production with a center who isn’t taking up $17 million of cap space. READ MORE
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IMAN SHUMPERT COMPARES CARMELO, LEBRON
Interesting insight from Iman Shumpert in this flashback on VLADTV, reflecting on going from working with Carmelo on the Knicks and then going to Cleveland and working with LeBron. Iman explained that he felt awkward at first, given that LeBron and Carmelo were pitted against one another despite being good friends. He went on to speak about LeBron having one of the biggest basketball IQs he’s ever seen, and Iman called it LeBron’s biggest superpower.
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MORROW REACTS TO NBA WALKOUT, PAUL’S LEADERSHIP
Anthony Morrow thinks about it almost every day.
If he was still in the NBA, would he have agreed to play in the bubble?
What he saw Wednesday night made Morrow wish he was there. The Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who took seven bullets to the back Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Thunder and Rockets, scheduled to tip-off at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Game 5, were prepared to join the Bucks in the strike. All three playoff games Wednesday were postponed and no games were played Thursday.
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OKOGIE FEATURED FIRST IN NEW YOUTUBE SERIES ON SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Timberwolves recorded Josh Okogie’s and strength and conditioning coach Kurt Joseph’s conversation and released it Thursday on YouTube as the first episode of their new series called “Voices,” which the Wolves and Lynx say will feature conversations from personnel on both teams about social justice issues.
Okogie and Joseph also discussed their experience attending rallies in the aftermath of Floyd’s death — a conversation that has new urgency after Jacob Blake was shot by police seven times Sunday in Kenosha, Wis., setting off another wave of protests that has including the postponement of NBA playoff games.
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