THE FLATS – Jose Alvarado be New Orleans’ backup point guard?… Thaddeus Young continues to be topic of trade rumors … Marcus Georges-Hunt signs with College Park Skyhawks … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
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COULD ALVARADO BE PELICANS’ BACKUP PG?
The Pelicans may have found their new backup point guard.
Early in the season, when New Orleans was splitting those minutes between Kira Lewis Jr. and Tomáš Satoranský, it was an issue. Once Lewis went down, the backup point guard minutes became a full-blown disaster. And after Satoranský landed in health and safety protocols earlier this month, Green had to hand those minutes over to two-way rookie Jose Alvarado. He didn’t have any other options.
Alvarado’s numbers don’t jump off the page. He’s never even reached double-figure scoring. But he brings a different level of energy whenever he’s on the court.
He’s a fearless defender who’s willing to take on any matchup, even if he’s often undersized. He doesn’t make reckless decisions when the ball is in his hands. He can get downhill and make plays for Jaxson Hayes or Willy Hernangómez in the pick-and-roll, and his teammates love his infectious energy.
It also was nice to see him finally knock down a couple of 3-pointers en route to his six-point performance in Sunday’s loss.
RT IF YOU UNDERSTAND JOSE ALVARADO IS THE GOAT OF NOLA! THANK YOU FOR BEING A PEL 🤝🏀🔥🔥 @AlvaradoJose15 pic.twitter.com/0PbyUEzMHX
— retroPels (@retro_pels) January 14, 2022
Jose Alvarado on the swipe and pass! 💯pic.twitter.com/5cER1xIZZD
— Pelicans Nation (@PelsNationCP) January 12, 2022
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YOUNG AMONG FOUR CANDIDATES WHO CAN HELP A CONTENDER
Martin Fenn at Sportscasting.com names five veteran players, including Thaddeus Young, who can help an NBA contender at the trade deadline. He writes about Young…
The San Antonio Spurs‘ curious handling of Thaddeus Young suggests he might get bought out rather than traded. Granted, the Spurs will deal the veteran forward if they get an offer they deem suitable. But it’s hard to imagine San Antonio getting great offers considering he’s hardly seen the floor.
Young has appeared in just 23 games this season and registered numerous DNP-coach’s decision designations. The Spurs are trying to build for the future and give minutes to lesser experienced players, but one would imagine they’d at least give Young some run to boost his value ahead of the February deadline.
In any event, the 33-year-old has the skill set to help a number of frontcourt units. Young is a strong rebounder who gets after it on the offensive glass. He racks up screen assists and is a willing passer when setting rubs or orchestrating dribble-handoff actions.
Indeed, Young is averaging 6.1 assists per 36 minutes this season. His playmaking and rebounding should appeal to several teams. He also creates offensive opportunities sometimes by barreling to the rim and collecting his misses.
The Phoenix Suns are among the teams that might show interest in Young, both ahead of the NBA trade deadline and in the buyout market.”
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GEORGES-HUNT SIGNS WITH HAWKS’ G LEAGUE AFFILIATE
The College Park Skyhawks announced today that the team has claimed Marcus Georges-Hunt off waivers.
Georges-Hunt, a 6-5 guard, most recently played for the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association during the 2020-21 season. In 41 games (17 starts), Georges-Hunt averaged 25.9 points (.485 FG%/.389 3FG%/.801 FT%), 5.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 28.8 minutes per game.
The Riverdale, Ga. product has two seasons of NBA service, most recently with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2017-18 season, where he appeared in 42 games. He also appeared in five games for the Orlando Magic during the 2016-17 season.
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REMEMBER THIS GAME-WINNING SHOT FROM CHRIS BOSH?
https://youtu.be/6q8uPA4DXvQ
