Utah Jazz: Team awards at midway point in 2018-19 season

Most Improved Player: Derrick Favors

This might be somewhat of a surprising selection for Utah’s Most Improved Player, but the award goes to Derrick Favors at the midway point in the season.

Favors, who re-signed with the Jazz in the offseason to begin his eighth full season in Salt Lake City, has seen some of his average totals take a hit so far in the 2018-19 NBA season, but his game has expanded compared to year’s past, which is nothing but a plus for Utah.

In 42 games this season, Favors is averaging 11.2 points, seven rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.1 assists and 0.7 steals in 23.4 minutes per game as the primary starter next to Rudy Gobert in the post.

His production on the offensive side of the ball has experienced a surprising improvement and that was on full display in the opening half of the year.

Favors is enjoying career-high marks in field goal percentage (58.3 percent) and effective field goal percentage (60.1 percent), while expanding his game to shooting 25.5 percent from beyond the arc.

His overall numbers may be a touch down from a year ago, but Favors has improved his game to become more of a complete player on the offensive end to expand his game within the Jazz offense. That’s enough to earn himself the midseason Most Improved Player award.