Nissan #ProJackets Basketball Report

April 14, 2017

By Wiley Ballard –

Marcus Georges-Hunt earned high praise in his first extended NBA action … Derrick Favors makes just his second career trip to the postseason with the Utah Jazz… Thaddeus Young and Iman Shumpert go head-to-head when Indiana faces Cleveland in an opening round showdown … All of that and more can be found in this week’s Nissan #ProJackets Report.

After missing 14 straight games due to bone contusion in his left knee, Derrick Favors took the floor in three of Utah’s final four regular season games. The 25-year-old averaged 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. Favors declared that he was “100 percent confident” in his knee entering the first round of the playoffs. In his seventh NBA season, Favors played in only 50 games (starting 39) due to separate knee injuries. It remains unclear whether head coach Quin Snyder will slot Favors in the starting lineup for Utah’s postseason opener Saturday night. The Jazz begin their first playoff series in five years against the Los Angeles Clippers. Tip-off between the two 51-win teams is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN live from the Staples Center.

Marcus Georges-Hunt closed out the regular season by playing in each of Orlando’s final five games. The highlight was an 8-point performance in last week’s win over Brooklyn. The rookie went 2-of-4 from the floor, including one trey, and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. The 23-year-old also crashed the glass with seven rebounds. Following the win, head coach Frank Vogel stated, “Marcus is a big-time scorer. [He] really has the ability to score, especially in a game like this where you have so many exceptional drivers… That is a skillset our team has lacked this year.” The former North Clayton star averaged 2.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists in his first taste of NBA action. Orlando finished the year with a 29-53 record.

Anthony Morrow and the Chicago Bulls will face the top-seed Boston Celtics. Chicago pulled out three wins in their final four games to secure the East’s eighth and final playoff spot. Morrow played a key role off the bench in each of the three wins, adding 10 points in 31 minutes of action. As a member of Oklahoma City for the better part of two seasons, Morrow offered a unique perspective on Russell Westbrook’s success this year saying, “We never will see [Westbrook’s season] again. Not for a long time anyway. He’s wired differently.” The first round series between Chicago and Boston begins Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

Iman Shumpert and the Cleveland Cavaliers enter the postseason on a discouraging four-game losing streak. Following Friday’s loss to Atlanta, head coach Tyronn Lue challenged his shooting guard to “get back to being a stopper.” Shumpert started the final two games of the season, replacing LeBron James and added 11 points in each losing effort. The guard finished the regular season shooting a career-best 41.1 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from beyond the arc. Due to the poor finish the Cavaliers fell to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the Pacers. Cleveland and Indiana begin the 2017 NBA Playoffs with a 3 p.m. ET start Saturday on ABC.

After a flurry of offseason acquisitions, the Indiana Pacers haven’t exactly lived up to expectations in 2016-17. With that said, the Maize and Blue have reached the postseason with help from all-star Paul George and first-year Pacers Thaddeus Young and Jeff Teague. In April, Young has averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 60.5 percent from the field. Thanks to the 10-year veteran’s production, the Pacers closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak. After Monday’s victory over Philadelphia, Young stated, “We can make some noise. We’re a scary team.” Indiana and Cleveland face off Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

I appreciate the S/o @AnthonyAmeyWSB ✊🏾✊🏾 https://t.co/1lXaULE0hl

— Marcus Georges-Hunt (@GTMGH3) April 11, 2017