THE FLATS – Jose Alvarado had a career night and a record-breaking performance for New Orleans … Josh Okogie taking advantage of opportunities in Phoenix … Thaddeus Young and the Raptors remain upbeat … Michael Devoe has another big night in the G League … Derrick Favors staying ready for NBA return … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
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ALVARADO HAS CAREER NIGHT VS. NUGGETS
It was a great night for former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Jose Alvarado. He set a career-high in points with 38 in the New Orleans Pelican’s big victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday evening and hit eight three-pointers in the process.
Alvarado played 27 minutes off the bench for the Pelicans and shot the ball 12-19, but it was his three-point shot that made the biggest difference in the game for New Orleans. Alvarado was 8-11 from three-point range in the game and was just phenomenal every time he took the court tonight.
Jose Alvarado scored 38 points off the bench against the Nuggets today.
That is the most points off the bench by any undrafted player since starters were first tracked in 1970-71.
It’s also the most off the bench by any player in Pelicans history. pic.twitter.com/KV9OzgtHft
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 4, 2022
“Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose, Joseeee”
Jose Alvarado get his chants, AMAZING ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UegqIDCq0q
— NBA UK (@NBAUK) December 4, 2022
Jose Alvarado receives a standing ovation after his career night in the @PelicansNBA win!
🔥 38 PTS (12/19 FGM) *career-high*
🔥 8 3PM *career-high* pic.twitter.com/RSYQjzfc5b— NBA (@NBA) December 4, 2022
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OKOGIE MAKING MOST OF OPPORTUNITY DURING SUN’S INJURY-RIDDLED STRETCH
Joining a completely new NBA environment after spending four years in the same place requires an adjustment. That’s especially true for Josh Okogie, who went from playing consistent minutes during his time on non-contending Minnesota Timberwolves teams to struggling for playing time on a Phoenix Suns squad with title aspirations.
But Okogie’s first brush with free agency prepared him for a different role, as long as it meant being on a winning team. That adjustment process is something he’s acknowledged since the start of his time in Phoenix.
“It kind of showed me, like, ‘Okay, the work’s never done,’” he said at Media Day. “I never thought it was done, but it just showed me, ‘Okay, whatever year it is, whatever the situation is, you just gotta keep working.’ And when the opportunity presented itself with the Suns, I just thought it was a no-brainer. A team like this, who was trying to win, that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Lately, however, thanks to a glut of injuries to the Suns’ guards and wings, Okogie has gotten more run, and he’s made the most of it. Something that coach Monty Williams hoped for back in training camp is starting to come to fruition.
“I think he can be a guy that comes off of our bench and just goes in and shuts somebody down,” Williams said. “He’s a guy that hasn’t found his niche in the league just yet where it’s consistent, but that doesn’t mean it can’t, and we hope that over the course of time, he makes it hard on me to keep him off the floor.”
Over his last six games, during which Phoenix has continued to miss Chris Paul, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder, Okogie has done that, averaging 5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 15.2 minutes per game. In the last three with Torrey Craig sidelined, Okogie stepped it up to 7.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 19.0 minutes per game — all while being a team-high +10.3.
On Josh Okogie making the most of his recent opportunities, wreaking his usual havoc on defense and adding value on offense by getting downhill: https://t.co/1Zpv5A0DRs pic.twitter.com/7OP2VLDHZ4
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 7, 2022
Okogie provided nine points (4-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals across 26 minutes during Sunday’s 133-95 victory over the Spurs.
Okogie led the team in rebounds off the bench, finishing one point and four assists shy of a triple-double while setting season-high marks in all three categories as well as minutes played and steals. Okogie has scored five or more points three times this season.
Okogie played all 12 minutes of the second quarter, ending it with two points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and zero turnovers. His +25 accounted for the full 36-11 avalanche the Suns drowned the Spurs in.
Okogie followed that performance with a team-high 28 points off the bench Wednesday night in a 125-98 loss to the Celtics.
“I’ve got to find minutes for him.” Monty Williams on Josh Okogie after his career-high 28-point effort. #Suns pic.twitter.com/zs2dS2xRKZ
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 8, 2022
Josh “NonStop” Okogie with the hustle off the bench tonight! ⚡️
9 PTS
11 REB*
5 AST**ties career high pic.twitter.com/gSuezhbrZc
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 4, 2022
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YOUNG SAYS RAPTORS REMAIN CONFIDENT IN STAFF
Raptors forward Thaddeus Young discusses the small margins between wins and losses, the teams chemistry and why slumps can’t change the impact of performance.
You’ve been around a lot of veteran teams in your 16 years. Are you not– you can’t be surprised at how the Lakers have sort of found themselves in the last seven or eight games after a rather slow start because they’re– they know what they’re doing.
THADDEUS YOUNG: Yeah. I mean, they have a veteran– a great veteran leader, Bron, obviously AD. So having those two guys and then having other guys out there that’s actually played in the league for a little bit, it helps, Russ obviously. So when you have three of some of the greatest players that have played this game, things’ll shift. Things’ll start going in your favor because you have guys that know how to play.
So for us, we’ve just got to go out there and just make sure that we impose our will on the game and make sure we try to take two of the three out of the game. But for those guys, things will always shift in their favor because they have so much veteran experience and veteran leadership.
💥 Jayson Tatum qui monte au dunk et s’offre Thaddeus Young sur la photo !
(via @NBCSCeltics)pic.twitter.com/7menkeSsEx
— Basket USA (@basketusa) December 6, 2022
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DEVOE WITH ANOTHER BIG PERFORMANCE IN G LEAGUE
Michael Devoe finished with 19 points (7-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five assists, four rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes during Sunday’s 117-89 win over the Oklahoma City Blue.
Besides being one of the leading scorers on a very efficient clip, Devoe showcased his defensive ability finishing with three steals. However, he did have trouble with ball security, leading the team in turnovers with four.
Look at the VISION by Michael Devoe! 👀 @OntClippers pic.twitter.com/6qx7PhOgDE
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 4, 2022
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FAVORS CONTINUES TO TRAIN FOR RETURN
Back in September, General Manager Sam Presti pulled the trigger on a trade designed to tidy up the franchise’s books. Oklahoma City would send Favors, along with three other Thunder players, to the Houston Rockets for Marquese Chriss, Sterling Brown, David Nwaba, and Trey Burke.
Every player in that transaction would end up being waived, including Favors who would be waived just 17 days after joining the Rockets.
Since then, everything has been quiet for the once-steady rotation player. Favors is still sitting on the waiver wire as a free agent, waiting on an opportunity to show he can still contribute.
On his Instagram page, Favors is promoting videos of himself working out on the same campus where he played college ball: Georgia Tech.
Just two weeks ago, he posted footage of himself getting up some shots with a caption that read, “Embrace adversity and keep good faith,” perhaps referring to the difficulties of being an aging center trying to work his way back into a league that is experiencing a youth movement and a shift in paradigm regarding his position.
