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SALT LAKE CITY — Monday night, the Jazz welcomed Jimmermania, witnessed a wonderful performance from essentially a one-legged Marvin Williams and saw a double-double from Jeremy Evans.
Derrick Favors, however, is who most Jazz fans will probably forget about, even though he scored the most and grabbed the most rebounds. His effort will be forgotten because it is really just another night for the big man, and that is what makes his game so incredible.
Favors, who protects the rim and calls the shots while the Jazz make their defensive play, has been the solid defensive standard for the Jazz. It’s not his fault that he plays his best on the less-glamorous side of the ball, but he should start to get credit for his offense as well as his defense.
Against the Sacramento Kings, which was a 106-99 win for the Jazz, he scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, both above his season averages, but neither will shock fans. That is a testament to the player that he’s become and why he is rarely the main talking point in a Jazz win.
Seriously, take a minute and go read random reviews about the Jazz’s game against the Kings. There will be talk about the play of Evans double-double, Enes Kanter’s new found confidence, the obligatory Jimmer Fredette story that fetches a ton of readers and a few stories about the fouling strategy that ended the night. Even The Associated Press game recap mentions Fredette in the headline, but only in passing during the article.
Favors’ efforts, however, often gets swept under the rug because at this point it is just what he does.
He’s the third-longest tenured member of the team behind Gordon Hayward and Evans. He was the crown piece in the trade that sent Deron Williams away and has quietly adjusted his game to become a weapon on both ends of the court.
Favors isn’t is the friendly looking face of the franchise like Hayward has become. He’s not the rookie point guard who slipped into the starting role like Trey Burke. He isn’t the enigmatic scorer with swag like Alec Burks. He’s not even the most popular big man with flamboyant flashes like Kanter. Favors is quiet, maybe even shy at times, but has become a leader who loves to see his teammates succeed with no account to his personal numbers.
“We come in to work every day,” Favors said. “When guys get the opportunity to go out there and play they do a good job and do the most with their time. I was happy that Jeremy had a good game. I'm always happy when Jeremy has a good game because he works so hard.”
He doesn't have Al Jefferson's engaging charisma, but he has such pride and love for his teammates that is often overlooked.
Before the season, perhaps every Jazz fans debated about who would become the team's leading scorer. The usual suspects were Kanter, Hayward or Burks. It seemed that no one expected to become a leading scorer, but he is now the third-leading scorer on the team. He was second until Burke’s return. Most important of all is that he is pretty consistent. He averages 13.8 points per game and every month he has been within a point of that.
On top of being the third-leading scorer, he also leads the team in rebounding, blocks and is second in steals, which allows him to lead the team in the player efficiency rating stat. This has been in huge part because of his ability to stay out of foul trouble.
I was happy that Jeremy had a good game. I'm always happy when Jeremy has a good game because he works so hard.
–Derrick Favors
He joked earlier in the season that he doesn't miss being asked about foul trouble. With all that he does well he doesn't care about his stats, but mostly about what he can do to help his team win.
“Tell you the truth I really don't play for stats,” Favors said. “If I score 30 points or if I score 10 points it doesn't really matter to me. I'd like to have a double-double every night, but it don't really matter to me as long as I get my rebounds I'm good.”
Favors even has an understated sense of humor that he balances with his ferocity on the court. In a game against the Charlotte Bobcats his mentor Jefferson pulled one of his patented pump fakes that Favors fell for hook, line and sinker. Favors was up in the air while Jefferson slid around for an easy bucket.
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After the game when asked about the incident he lit up a little and used some colorful language while joking about knowing it was coming. It was one of the few times where he broke out of his shell and became a big kid who enjoyed talking about a funny incident with an old friend.
Favors still hasn't scratched the surface of what he can become and he knows it. He is averaging 13 points per game on instincts and athleticism. Working with Jazz legend Karl Malone in the offseason has helped tune his game. However, he knows he has a long way to go and keeps notes on what he has to do.
“I have a piece of paper at home,” Favors said. “Every time I play a game, or I watch film or just something I see in the game I jot it down on the piece of paper and I use it for the summer as stuff I need to work on.”
The New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets) selected the 22-year-old with the third pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, six spots before Hayward, and while his defense has been good his offense lagged behind. Three years ago the Jazz turned the corner using the “big lineup” where Favors, Jefferson and Paul Millsap would simply beat down opponents.
While Jefferson and Millsap were the stars of the line, it was Favors' talent that broke through and coach Tyrone Corbin couldn't keep him off the court. Favors didn't need to score, just control the paint and let Jefferson do what he did best.
Derrick Favors vs. Karl Malone at Age 22
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derrick Favors | 13.4 | 9.2 | 31.3 |
| Karl Malone | 14.9 | 8.9 | 30.6 |
Now he is playing in a small lineup. Marvin Williams is a slightly undersized stretch-four, so Favors needs to be the inside presence on both sides of the court.
“I'm doing my job very well,” Favors said. “I come in and score when I get my opportunity. Getting rebounds, blocking shots, being a force on defense. Trying to impact the game anyway I can. I still think I need to improve my overall game.”
Favors probably isn't Malone, but at the age of 22 their numbers are very similar. Malone averaged 14.9 points per game, 8.9 rebounds while playing 30.6 minutes per game. Favors is averaging 13.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and playing 31.3 minutes per contest. Of course, that was Malone's rookie year, and comparing Favors to arguable the greatest power forward of all time isn't fair.
However, this does show what kind of talent Favors has. If he continues to work he has the tools to become a great player and one day he won't be overlooked for his greatness.
