Nissan #ProJackets Basketball Report

Jan. 26, 2017

By Wiley Ballard –

As Miami inches closer and closer to waiving Chris Bosh, rumors swirl surrounding the big man’s basketball future … Iman Shumpert has taken his game to a new level now starting for first-place Cleveland … Derrick Favors delivered his first double-double since his returning from his troublesome knee injury … All of that and more can be found in this week’s Nissan #ProJackets Basketball Report.

Several high-profile news outlets fed the NBA rumor mill yesterday with reports of the Chicago Bulls targeting Miami’s Chris Bosh. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, multiple teams “don’t expect Bosh to be waived until after March 1, thereby ensuring that he’s not playoff-eligible for another team.” Secondly, Stein also notes that Chicago Bulls will be at the front of the line to try to sign him. The forward’s ties to Chicago are obvious with former teammate Dwayne Wade averaging 18.8 points in his first season in the Windy City. Meanwhile, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald points out that “Bosh has not definitively decided whether or not to resume his career.” If one thing is for sure, there’s no shortage of drama and speculation when it comes to the South Florida all-star.

Derrick Favors matched a season-high 18 points in Tuesday night’s loss to Denver. The 25-year-old hit 8-of-11 attempts from the field while pulling down five boards. The night before, he recorded his first double-double since November with a 10-point, 10-rebound effort in a loss to Oklahoma City. Unfortunately for Utah, those two performances followed a six-game winning streak that thrust the Jazz back into the Western Conference playoff picture. Despite the setbacks, Utah still sits in prime position to catch the Clippers for home court advantage in the first round. Utah hosts the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in a nationally televised contest. Tip is at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

Marcus Georges-Hunt and the Maine Red Claws brief three-game win streak was halted Wednesday night in a loss against the Canton Charge (Ohio). The North Clayton High School product reached double figures in scoring for the fifth straight game and continues to lead the team in minutes played with 37.2 per night. Georges-Hunt is also averaging 17 points while being one of only two players to play in every Red Claw game this season. The rookie forward had a particularly strong game last Thursday in the D-League Showcase, scoring 23 points including five three-pointers. Maine hosts the Greensboro Swarm tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on Facebook Live.

Anthony Morrow and the Oklahoma City Thunder had a light week playing only twice in a seven-day span. Although Morrow didn’t play in either of Oklahoma City’s games, he did get a chance to track Georgia Tech’s win over #6 Florida State last night. The Thunder face the Mavericks tonight in a nationally televised conflict at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

In Cleveland’s first 38 games, Iman Shumpert started once, rested once and came off the bench 36 times. In the last six, Shumpert has been on the floor at tip-off. The guard is producing 14.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.8 steals as a starter– all higher than his season averages. Over that same stretch, he’s knocking down 57 percent of his shots including 20-of-36 treys (56 percent). Kyrie Irving noticed Shumpert’s increased confidence by observing “how comfortable he is, understanding the spacing … being a willing cutter and playmaker.” Enjoy this highlight from Saturday’s showdown with San Antonio for further evidence. After a discouraging home overtime loss last night to Sacramento, Cleveland welcomes the Brooklyn Nets to Quicken Loans Arena Friday night. Tip is at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Thaddeus Young and the Indiana Pacers took a significant step backward last week losing all three of their games. The streak follows a promising stretch of seven wins in eight contests. Across the three games, Young is shot 50 percent (including 4-of-6 from three) with a 11.0 scoring average. He also collected 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals. The enigmatic Pacers, consistently inconsistent, sit at 22-22 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Indiana faces a pair of sub-.500 clubs, Minnesota and Sacramento, before taking on the 34-15 Houston Rockets this Sunday. Tip against Minnesota is slotted for 8 p.m. ET tonight.

Teams that are in need of PG assistance, Will Bynum is a name that frequently pops up. The veteran playing for D-League’s Windy City Bulls.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 24, 2017

Crane’s Will Bynum still thrilling them with the Windy City Bulls. https://t.co/Lmt5kx3Xkn

— Sam Smith (@SamSmithHoops) January 19, 2017

#Falcons #RiseUp

— Derrick Favors (@dfavors14) January 22, 2017