Pro Jacket Report - January 11th, 2018

Welcome to From the Rumble Seat’s weekly look at the Yellow Jackets in professional basketball.

National Basketball Association:

Marcus Georges-Hunt - Minnesota Timberwolves: A big week for Georges-Hunt, not so much on the court as off of it. The Timberwolves guaranteed his contract, not only meaning he will likely stay with the big league club the rest of the season, but make all of the money on the deal. They say one in six Tech graduates is a millionaire, and now another great Tech man joins that club.

Meanwhile, on the court, Georges-Hunt made it into three of the T-Wolves four games this week, and saw a good amount of game time in two of those. His fundamentals and play look as good as ever, even if he isn’t lighting up the stats sheet. Oh, and teammate Jimmy Butler gave an adorable interview with Georges-Hunts’ daughter following one of those games, so that’s nice, too.

Derrick Favors - Utah Jazz: Favors suffered a right ankle sprain and did not play last night. However, his previous two games were again excellent, as he is in the middle of his best play all season. Reaching a double-double in each contest, from points and rebounds, and generally being a solid frontcourt presence, Favors is really the Jazz’ only option of late, with Rudy Gobert still sidelined from injury. Off the court, trade rumors are swirling regarding a Nikola Mirotic for Favors swap, so his time in Salt Lake City could be limited. Personally, as a Favors fan and a Bulls fan, I would be ecstatic, but for Favors, going from a team seven games under .500 to a team twelve games under .500 probably isn’t the most exciting opportunity in the world.

Thaddeus Young - Indiana Pacers: His Pacers are 2-1 on the week and remain in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Young, meanwhile, has played well this week, with an uptick in scoring, rebounds, and his peripheral stats. he didn’t play as much in a blowout of the Bulls, but against Milwaukee and in the home loss to the Heat, he looked as good as ever.

Jarrett Jack - New York Knicks: Though his team came up short against the Bulls, who seem to be everywhere on the Pro Jacket Report this week, it was not for lack of effort from Jack. Last night, Jack did his part with a triple-double, his first since 2012. Arguably, he tried to do too much, committing a few crucial mistakes in the waning minutes of the second overtime, but, regardless, Jack is now one of 17 players this year with a triple-double. In his other, less lengthy games, he has still been dishing out assists and getting the job done from point guard. The Knicks remain in tenth in the Eastern Conference, two games behind Young’s Pacers.

Iman Shumpert - Cleveland Cavaliers: Shumpert is still sidelined with a knee injury. In the downtime, he gave a nice interview to CNBC about his spending habits and the power of saving money. It’s good to see a man who remains a folk hero and role model for so many, both in our hometown and elsewhere, sharing good advice because people hang on every word, especially the kids he coaches. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers sit in third in the Eastern Conference.

In honor of Marcus Georges-Hunt getting a nice payday, I’ll leave you with this, my favorite memory of him on the Flats. Got any other good ones?