Nissan #ProJackets Basketball Report

Dec. 10, 2015

By Wiley Ballard

– The NBA season has reached the quarter pole and several #ProJackets are off to strong starts. Derrick Favors is in the midst of a breakout season in Utah, while Thaddeus Young continues to be a model of consistency in Brooklyn. Miami’s Chris Bosh continues to buoy the 12-8 Miami Heat who round out the top five of the Eastern Conference. All of that and more can be found in this week’s basketball edition of the Nissan #ProJackets Report.

Chris Bosh – In the first week of December, Bosh has averaged 16.0 points per game and shot an even 50 percent from the field. The Heat, meanwhile, have lost back-to-back contests and sit fifth in the log-jammed Eastern Conference. In Monday night’s setback against Washington, Bosh was ejected for arguing a travelling call in the game’s final minutes. It was his first ejection since arriving in Miami six years ago, although Bosh’s frustration was later justified as the NBA admitted that the no-call was incorrect.

Bosh’s competitive nature on the court has been well-documented over his 12-year career, but it was his competitive fire off the court that caught the eye of CNN.

Derrick Favors – Wednesday night’s win over New York brought the Jazz back to .500 at 10-10, but it did snap Derrick Favors’ double-double streak. The power forward had strung together four consecutive double-double performances entering Wednesday’s game. Favors hardly struggled, however, scoring 20 points and pulling down eight rebounds in 28 minutes (his lowest minute total since early November).

The Atlanta-native has been making basketball headlines week in week out so far in the 2015-16 season, but this past week Yahoo Sports examined how Favors takes a break from basketball.

Jarrett Jack – Brooklyn’s faceoff against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday evening wasn’t exactly highly-billed. The NBA’s best against a struggling Nets squad wasn’t going to capture much attention, but for Jarrett Jack it meant a chance to reconnect with former teammate, Stephen Curry. Just last May, Curry was named the NBA’s most valuable player and in his acceptance speech he mentioned Jack explicitly.

As far as this past week’s action, Jack turned in his strongest performance on Tuesday night in a win over Houston. The point guard reached double figures with 10 points and added nine assists. The Nets return to the court Thursday night against Philadelphia as part of a six-game homestand.

Anthony Morrow – According to Oklahoma City head coach Billy Donovan, Anthony Morrow’s playing time is largely determined by the matchups on a given night. In three December games, Morrow has averaged 15 minutes per game and 40 percent from the floor. Tuesday night’s win over Memphis included Morrow’s best effort consisting of eight points, three boards and two assists in 19 minutes. Morrow and the Thunder host the Hawks Thursday night.

Iman Shumpert – Cleveland head coach David Blatt described Shumpert’s return as “sooner rather than later” earlier this week. The guard suffered a ruptured Extensor Carpi Ulnaris sheath in his right wrist just before the start of training camp. There’s no official return date set for Shumpert or his teammate Kyrie Irving who is recovering from knee surgery, although many outlets speculate that a return for Cleveland’s Christmas Day matchup against Golden State is most likely.

Thaddeus Young – Over the past week, Young has posted three double-doubles including two 20-point efforts. His work in Brooklyn’s Tuesday night win over Houston was efficient as he scored 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting, securing 12 rebounds and adding a season-high five assists. Young has now recorded double-doubles in nine of his last 12 games. And while the recent success is encouraging, Young assures Basketball Insiders that he is in it for the long haul.

Young featured on NBA.com Fast Break of the Night.