Nissan #ProJackets Basketball Report

April 7, 2016

By Wiley Ballard –

Derrick Favors and the Utah Jazz are fighting for the first playoff berth since 2012 and lead the Houston Rockets by one game with just a week remaining… Thaddeus Young has been shut down for the rest of the year as Brooklyn wraps up a 50-loss season… Chris Bosh’s playoff status has not yet been determined by Miami although many speculate he will not return… All of that and more can be found in this week’s basketball edition of the Nissan #ProJackets Report.

Chris Bosh – With five games remaining for the Miami Heat, Chris Bosh is no closer to taking the court. Head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke yesterday to local media and flatly stated that “we have no new updates C.B.” Bosh’s indefinite absence makes things that much tougher on Miami which currently sits in a four-way jostle for the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat take the court tonight against Chicago on TNT at 8 p.m. ET.

Derrick Favors – Utah is on the verge of their first playoff appearance since 2012. Last Sunday, Derrick Favors added 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting in a win over Phoenix, but managed just eight points the following game against San Antonio. The Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets are in a three-way battle for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.  Utah, a game behind Dallas, faces the Mavericks in their final home game next Monday night. Meanwhile the Jazz took care of  business against Houston two weeks ago with this game-winning dunk from Derrick Favors. The Jazz host the Clippers Friday night at 9 p.m. ET.

Jarrett Jack – Jarrett Jack underwent season-ending knee surgery in Manhattan this past January. Officially diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the point guard anticipates a full recovery and plans to return for the 2016-17 season. Jack’s season averages in 32 games as the Brooklyn Nets starting point guard were 12.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg and a team-high 7.4 apg.

Anthony Morrow – Anthony Morrow registered his first start Wednesday night for Oklahoma City in over three months. Resting four members of their starting five, Oklahoma City fell to Portland 120-115. Morrow poured in 19 points for his second-highest scoring total of the season. The seven-year veteran has averaged 5.5 points per game and shot 38.7 percent from downtown despite playing just 13.6 minutes per night (the second lowest total of his career). Morrow will likely see more minutes this week as Oklahoma City readies itself for the postseason play. The Thunder visit the Kings in Sacramento on Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Iman Shumpert – Iman Shumpert made his fifth start of the season Wednesday night in place of a resting LeBron James. Shumpert added four points from the free throw line, three rebounds and a steal in Cleveland’s loss to Indiana. Although his role in Cleveland is not a scoring one, the agile guard contributes away from the rim with steals in six of his last seven games and a +32 plus-minus rating during that stretch. Cleveland battles Chicago at 8:30pm on Saturday night in a nationally televised game on ABC.  

Thaddeus Young – The Brooklyn Nets have been out of the playoff hunt since the season began. With only five games remaining, Brooklyn’s upper management made the decision to shut down Thaddeus Young in the interest of preservation. With the Celtics owning Brooklyn’s first round pick this offseason, there’s no incentive for Brooklyn to tank either. In 73 games, Young has averaged 15.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and netted 28 double-doubles.