Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors challenges the norm
By Mason McFee
Derrick Favors has long been a controversial player, but continues to defy the odds. Here’s a deep dive into how Favors has stayed afloat with the Utah Jazz in an ever-evolving league.
The only constant in life is change. In the NBA, it’s a certainty — a given. The league has undergone many changes of playing styles and offensive schemes. For instance, back in the day it was all about having a dominant big man.
The NBA’s recent 3-point revolution is slowly but surely devaluing the need for a star center. If a team has one, great! They just better be a defensive stalwart and/or be able to defend smaller players out on the perimeter, because otherwise they’re going to see their playing time disappear faster than James Harden in the playoffs.
The Utah Jazz have a player that fits the above description by the name of Rudy Gobert (more on him later), but he is not the guy in the picture. The guy in the picture’s name is Derrick Favors, and despite his last name, was expected to be relegated to the bench and lose playing time like his other “traditional” contemporaries when the league started embracing the long ball.
Except, he’s still here. In fact, he’s made 328 starts since the NBA’s 3-point revolution began back in the 2012-13 season. Granted, he has also missed nearly a whole season in the past six seasons, suiting up for 411 of the 482 games he could have played in. Conversely, one could view that as Favors has played and started in roughly 85 percent of the possible games he could have played in.
Perspective is key, and Favors has been key to the Jazz punching a ticket to the postseason. So how has he done it?