Nissan #ProJackets Basketball Report

Feb. 9, 2017

By Wiley Ballard –

Marcus Georges-Hunt signs a 10-day contract with the Miami Heat and will join the team in Brooklyn for Friday night’s game … Derrick Favors delivered his best performance of the season in his own backyard against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night … Thaddeus Young and Iman Shumpert battle injuries as their teams continue to jockey for playoff positioning … All of that and more can be found in this week’s Nissan #ProJackets Report.

Today is the one-year anniversary of Chris Bosh’s last NBA appearance – a 119-101 loss to San Antonio in which Bosh added 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Like almost every day since then, Bosh spends today waiting to see what Miami’s next move is. The Sun Sentinel suggested yesterday that the next domino will not fall until next month when waived players are no longer eligible to occupy a playoff roster spot. By doing that, Miami would shield itself from a potential salary cap backlash should Bosh return to the court for 25 games or more this season. The latest forecast calls for a move after March 1, so until then, Bosh and the rest of the NBA wait.

The Windy City Bulls won all three of their games this past week, but Will Bynum appeared only in Tuesday’s game. The 131-114 victory over Grand Rapids included a 13-point, 11-assist effort from the team’s most senior leader. Bynum also netted a +30 plus-minus rating in his 29 minutes. In nine games since joining Windy City in late December, the Chicago, Ill. native is averaging 15.6 points and 6.1 assists in 27.0 minutes. Windy City takes the floor tonight at 8 p.m. ET against Raptors 905. The game will be streamed on Facebook Live.

Derrick Favors delivered a promising performance in a triumphant homecoming on Monday night in Atlanta. After sitting out two games and playing a limited 10 minutes in Saturday night’s win over Charlotte, Favors poured in a season-high 20 points on 10-of-12 shooting against his hometown team. The 25-year-old also earned his fourth double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. After the game, Favors told the Salt Lake Tribune that “It just felt good to finally feel like myself for once this season.” Meanwhile his team is beginning to look like a sure-fire bet to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The Jazz are 34-19 following Wednesday night’s 127-94 rout in New Orleans. Utah sits 11.0 games ahead of Portland, the first team on the outside looking in, in the West’s playoff picture. Utah plays its third road game in four days tonight against the Dallas Mavericks. Tip is at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Marcus Georges-Hunt just had the most successful week of his professional life. On Monday, he was one of three Maine Red Claws and one of 24 players total to be selected as a D-League All-Star. Although the game will be televised on NBATV on Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m., don’t expect to see Georges-Hunt. Wednesday, news broke that the Miami Heat had signed the rookie to a 10-day contract. The 22-year-old, who was born in Miami, is expected to join the Heat in Brooklyn for Friday night’s game. Miami made the move following a lack of progress in Josh Richardson’s recovery from a lingering foot injury. Coach Erik Spoelstra described Georges-Hunt as “a combo guard who can handle the ball, make plays and shoot from deep.” According to Fox Sports Florida, Georges-Hunt will wear No. 24 when he joins the team. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday night.

Anthony Morrow worked his way back into Billy Donavan’s rotation over the last 10 days. The shooting guard has logged at least 14 minutes in each of Oklahoma City’s last five games, a stretch in which they’ve won just two. During that time, Morrow is averaging 6.0 points while shooting 35 percent. Meanwhile, he also took the time to speak with The Norman Transcript and share his personal connection to Black History Month and some of his favorite documentaries. The Thunder take centerstage tonight in a nationally televised showdown against the Cavaliers. The face-off begins at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

After missing the first 21 games of last season with a wrist injury, Iman Shumpert has been a regular in Cleveland’s rotation as either a starter or bench player. That changed Monday night when Shumpert suffered a sprained ankle while trying to slow down Bradley Beal. During yesterday’s morning shootaround, head coach Tyronn Lue announced that Shumpert would miss both Wednesday night’s game, a win over Indiana, and tonight’s game against Oklahoma City. 247 Sports reports that Shumpert is out of his walking boot and no longer on crutches, so a quick return may be a possibility. Cleveland meanwhile readies itself for a national showcase tonight in Oklahoma City at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

Thaddeus Young started each of the first 49 games for the Pacers this season, but has missed three straight since suffering a sprained left wrist last Friday night. The Pacers had absorbed Young’s absence well before succumbing to a 40-point third-quarter barrage against Cleveland last night. The 132-117 defeat snapped the Pacers seven-game winning streak, but Indiana still holds a five-game cushion over ninth place New Orleans with 30 games remaining. On the season, Young is averaging 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting a career-best 39.6 percent from three. It is unclear how much time Young may miss with the wrist injury, but Fox Sports Indiana’s Pat Boylan reported that there didn’t appear to be “any type of fracture.” The Pacers visit the Wizards Friday night at 8pm ET on ESPN.

Extra shooting with the squad pic.twitter.com/zcjhrCXGhl

— Marcus Georges-Hunt (@GTMGH3) February 7, 2017