Nissan #ProJackets Basketball Report

Dec. 15, 2016

By Wiley Ballard –

After missing a month due to injury, Derrick Favors returned to the floor Wednesday night for the Utah Jazz … Iman Shumpert has transformed into Cleveland’s sixth man thanks to his new shooting motion … Anthony Morrow’s role in Oklahoma City is growing by the day under head coach Billy Donovan … All of that and more can be found in this week’s Nissan #ProJackets Report.

There have been no new developments in the Chris Bosh blood clot saga. The Miami Herald examined the trade market through a Bosh lens a little more than a week ago. In the piece, Barry Jackson reports that Bosh’s “mindset at the moment is that he’s more likely to attempt a comeback next season than this season.” If this were the case, Miami could unload $23.6 million of cap space on Feb. 9 (the one-year anniversary of Bosh’s last game) with two weeks until the trade deadline. However, if Bosh plays 25 games or more before the end of the NBA Finals, then the cap space would vanish retroactively. To the big man’s credit, he hasn’t let the frustrations spill over into his personal life and is still focusing on the positive.

Derrick Favors took the court last night for the first time in a month. The 25-year-old snapped a 13-game consecutive “inactive” streak playing 13 minutes in Utah’s 109-89 win over Oklahoma City. Favors took only three shots, making one, and hauled in four rebounds in his return from a left knee bone contusion. Although the Jazz put him on a minutes restriction last night, the sixth-year veteran expressed confidence in his health before the game. Utah hosts Dallas Friday night at 10:30 p.m. ET in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

Following a mild slump, Marcus Georges-Hunt returned to his efficient form last week in three games for the D-League’s Maine Red Claws. The forward shot 50 percent or better in each contest including 26 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds in Saturday’s win over Long Island. With two more rebounds, Georges-Hunt would have notched his second triple-double of the season and the franchise’s 12^th all-time. The <i>Portland Press Herald</i> took special notice of the 22-year-old’s effort while the D-League posted highlights. The Red Claws lead the Atlantic Division at 9-4 and host the Los Angeles D-Fenders on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET on Facebook Live.

Anthony Morrow continues to see regular minutes from Thunder head coach Billy Donavan, logging 20 minutes or more in 10 straight contests. That’s the sharpshooter’s longest stretch in nearly two years. Furthermore, the Thunder have won seven of those 10 contests and sit in seventh place in the Western Conference. With all of that said, Morrow has cooled down significantly of late, shooting just 1-of-11 from three in his last three games. The Thunder host the Suns on Saturday afternoon and CBS speculates that Morrow may enter the starting lineup should Victor Oladipo miss his third straight game. Tip is 5 p.m. ET.

Last week #ProJackets highlighted Iman Shumpert’s career-best shooting percentage which has continued to climb to 48.7 percent. This week <i>Bleacher Report</i> examined “How did Iman Shumpert get his groove back?” The guard cites an improved shooting motion and a healthy wrist. Across four games last week, the Cavaliers “best overall reserve” shot 50 percent from the field and averaged 9.0 points per game.

Things appear to be going just as well off the court for Shumpert and his wife, Teyana Taylor. The couple sat down with Billboard to discuss how they first met and what songs can be found on their romantic playlist. Cleveland boasts the Eastern Conference’s best record, 18-6, and hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Thaddeus Young’s move from Brooklyn to Indiana hasn’t been seamless, just like Indiana’s 13-13 start hasn’t been flawless. The Pacers were expected to be better than .500 at this point in the season, but the team has shown flashes. Young’s brightest flash occurred on Saturday night in a thrilling win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The 6-foot-8 power forward sunk a career-high six treys on his way to a season-high 24 points. Following the game, Paul George tabbed Young as “the biggest player of all tonight” while others have lauded Young as Indiana’s “best offseason acquisition.” On the season, Young is a preposterous 26-for-57 from deep (45.6 percent) after hitting only 7-of-30 three-point attempts all of last season in Brooklyn. The Pacers host the Pelicans tonight in a cross-conference clash. Tip is at 8 p.m. ET.