THE FLATS – Thaddeus Young has near triple-double in Chicago … Derrick Favors continues to push through sore knee to help Jazz win nine of last 10 … Josh Okogie’s and Timberwolves struggling in last place … Jarrett Jack resurfaces with new G League Ignite team.
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 CONTINUES TO PLAY THROUGH KNEE AND BACK ISSUES
Derrick Favors has battled a sore knee all season long, and was listed a questionable for Wednesday night’s game against the Mavericks. As expected, Favors will played Tuesday against the Knicks despite right knee soreness that has plagued him for much of the season. Over the past five games, he’s averaging 5.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes.
From CBSSports.com, which grades the Utah Jazz with an A+: If anyone is going to challenge the Los Angeles monopoly on Western Conference contention, it is going to be the Utah team that has finally struck a balance between the competing identities of its past few seasons. The Jazz made a calculated decision in 2019 to emphasize offense by ditching Derrick Favors to sign Bojan Bogdanovic. It knocked them out of the top 10 in defense for the first time since Rudy Gobert became the full-time starter. But with Favors back in the fold and Gobert as dominant as ever, the Jazz are back at No. 7 as of this writing, while Bogdanovic, Donovan Mitchell and a resurgent Mike Conley are leading an offense that has been even better.
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BULLS’ YOUNG COULD BE AN ATTRACTIVE TRADE TARGET
Thad Young handled the question so adeptly, it’s almost as if he knew it was coming and slid over in front of it to take a charge — just like he has eight times this season. With Young playing at such a high level and his trade value only rising, what does he want to have happen by the time the March 25 deadline comes and goes? Read more from NBCSports.com
Young just missed a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a loss to the Celtics Monday night.
LIVE: Thaddeus Young media availability after tonight’s loss to Boston https://t.co/ufKQQrPgn0
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 26, 2021
VIDEO: Young with a dunk vs. the Celtics
VIDEO: Young with a 2-pointer vs. the Rockets
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YOUNG BUYING STAKE IN AUSTRALIAN PRO TEAM
Bulls forward Thaddeus Young confirmed a report from the New York Times about purchasing a minority stake in the Brisbane Bullets, a team that competes in Australia’s National Basketball League, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.
Young, who has spent the past 14 seasons in the NBA, expects the deal to be finalized soon. The 32-year-old was originally contacted by Kevin Martin, his former teammate and current majority owner of the Bullets, about the possibility. Read more in HoopsRumors.com
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OKOGIE AND TIMBERWOLVES STRUGGLING
With Jarrett Culver officially out, Josh Okogie, Anthony Edwards and Jake Layman were all expected to see increased run versus the Warriors on Wednesday.
Okogie attempted no shots and finished with one assist and one steal in 17 minutes Monday in the last-place Timberwolves’ 130-108 loss to the Warriors. Okogie has re-emerged as a starting wing for Minnesota in each of the last six games due mainly to his prowess on the defensive end. He recorded a season-high five thefts just one game earlier
VIDEO: Okogie with assist of the night
VIDEO: Okogie with an assist against the Hawks
VIDEO: Okogie with a dunk against the Magic
Okogie on Minnesota’s vigilant adherence to COVID protocols as the Timberwolves continue to play around a couple of positive cases: “(Timberwolves Basketball Performance and Technology Robby Sikka) and the front office do a great job of following the health and safety protocols. They’ve done a good job of making testing not only available to us but for our families to make sure that whoever is around us has the same resources we have, so they’ve been great.”
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GEORGES-HUNT SCORES 68 IN DOUBLE-OT CHINA THRILLER
Marcus Georges-Hunt and former BYU star Jimmer Fredette and produced a scoring masterclass as the Sichuan Blue Whales defeated the Shanghai Sharks in a CBA thriller on Monday.
Fredette amassed a whopping 70-point haul for Shanghai, with Georges-Hunt close behind for Sichuan with a career-high 68 in an enthralling duel between the former NBA players.
Georges-Hunt hit a three to send the game into the second overtime, and his Blue Whales eventually prevailed 136-129.
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JARRETT JACK SIGNS WITH G LEAGUE IGNITE
Jarrett Jack is the latest NBA veteran to reinforce Ignite ahead of its maiden season in the NBA G League, the league announced last Friday. Jack, 37, will be tasked in honing the top high school prospects in the select team as they prepare for their eventual leap to the NBA.
The 14-year NBA veteran is a seasoned point guard who had stints with the Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, and New York Knicks, last playing in the 2017-18 season.
Jack posted 10.8 points, 4.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds in his NBA career, which included playoff appearances with New Orleans, Golden State, and Brooklyn.
The NBA G League announced that 18 teams, including 17 NBA G League teams and G League Ignite, will take to the court in February at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. The top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff.
NBA teams without an NBA G League affiliate participating in Orlando will have the opportunity to assign roster players and transfer Two-Way players using the league’s flexible assignment and Two-Way rules. The full list of the 17 participating NBA G League teams is below.
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