Utah Jazz PnB Awards: Irreplaceable Player Of The Year
Utah Jazz 2014-15 PnB Awards: MVP
These are the 2014-15 Utah Jazz PnB Awards. Our panel of utterly unbiased experts have put our sizable heads together in an attempt to recognize Utah Jazz players that made a difference in a season the real experts picked far too meagerly.
"You try to play it cool like you just don’t careBut soon I’ll be playin’ in your underwearI’m like a mage with the magic spellYou come like a dog when I ring your bellI got the money and I got the fameYou’ve got the hots to ride on my planeYou’ve given me all that I desireCuz down with me I’m takin’ you higherI’m baddest of the badI’m the best that you’ve ever hadI’m the tops, I’m the kingAll the girls get up when I singI’m the meanest in the placeStep up, I’ll mess with your faceI don’t care where you areLook up and follow this star–Weezer"
Who is your Most Valuable Player on the Utah Jazz this year?
Jared Barker: In my opinion, the man who gets overlooked but has been a force for the Jazz, and our behind-the-scenes MVP is Derrick Favors. He shot about 52.5% from the floor and started to show a bit of range on his shot. I look at those free throw line jumpers he takes like a gimmie now.
Derrick Favors 2014-15 game logs, via BasketballReference.com
He increased his offensive production and rebounded on the defensive end tremendously. I think we can partially attribute this to his shift to his more natural defensive position of PF.
He’s starting to look like a forward on offense as well and if we continue to see Karl Malone and Paul Millsap-esque year over year improvement we could be looking at a 20 and 10 guy who gets it done on both ends and is in the discussion as one of the better power forwards in the league.
If he develops a three pointer? He’ll be one of the most dangerous players in the game.
Ryan Aston: Who is the Utah Jazz MVP for 2014-15? Let me check my watch…
Look at that — it’s G-TIME! (Heyooooo!)
Since that little bit probably just killed the mood, allow me to present you something of a palate cleanser. Just one example of the kind of play a star makes for his team and one of the many that Hayward served up on the season:
I could go on and on about why Hayward was the team’s most valuable player; hit you with a variety of esoteric statistics, maybe a pie chart or a graph. Instead, let me just say that Hayward is beginning to develop the kind of killer instinct and drive to be the best befitting an All-Star in the league.
He was our MVP this season and I’m looking forward to even better things from Hayward next year.
Spencer Wixom: I think it was Gordon Hayward, and would be surprised if that’s not unanimous. So, just because everyone is arguing Hayward, I’m going to say Derrick Favors.
Favs had one of the most underrated seasons in the league this year: 16 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game? Come on, that’s mammoth.
In fact, there were only 3 players that put up those numbers in the NBA: Anthony Davis, Pau Gasol, and Derrick Favors. Derrick had career high true shooting percentage of 55.8% while upping his usage rate 3%. He also posted a nice 40.1% shooting from 10-16 feet.
Quietly, Derrick had the best PER on the Jazz at 21.86. That was the 16th best in the NBA! Favors was 15th in the league in defensive real plus minus among power forwards, and and 15th in offensive real plus minus. He had the 39th best real plus minus in the league.
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Barker: Typical Spencer. Didn’t read my response, apparently. I said Favors myself. Hayward is a close second imo. One could also argue he was Rudy Gobert’s main competition for the year.
Wix: You must have missed the fine print that said “Wixom is not responsible for anything he may miss during finals.” My bad.
Barker: No my mistake. I forgot that you were hopped up on Adderal during finals week… Typical Seahawks fan.
Blake Draper: My Most Valuable Player for the Jazz? That would have to be Derrick Favors, with both Gordon Hayward and even Rudy Gobert right behind. As has been mentioned, Derrick Favors led the Jazz in PER and was very consistent all year.
Hayward had a great season, and we’re all excited about Rudy’s future. Rudy even managed to lead the team in win shares despite only playing the fourth-most minutes of anyone on the team.
Clint Peterson: Wow, this is a lot closer than I thought it would be, especially with Wix playing contrarian for the sake of it.
Another way Derrick Favors shows his immense value to the Jazz can be tracked by when he doesn’t play. Through December 16, 2014, the Utah Jazz were 0-12 when Favors didn’t play, over the previous two years, prompting Quin Snyder to quip, “We’ve got to figure out a way to win without him.”
They did, however, go 5-0 in the next five games he would sit for. Meanwhile, Utah went 3-3 in games Gordon Hayward didn’t play in this season.
While Favors is a quiet leader, Hayward has vocally seized the role of skipper, taking responsibility for the fate of the current crop of players he shares the floor with. What Hayward does on a consistent basis for the Jazz only a handful of his colleagues in the NBA can match.
You really can’t go wrong with either pick — although mine is officially Hayward — and this dynamic duo is poised to take the Jazz to the next of several levels in the game. They could be trading this honor back and forth for years to come.
Final tally: Derrick Favors 3, Gordon Hayward 2
The surprise winner of the Utah Jazz PnB Irreplaceable Player of the Year Award is…
Big Slim, Derrick Favors!
Congratulations! Here’s your prize: a delicious basket of waffle sweet potato fries.
Derrick Favors wins sweet potato fries as the 2014-15 Utah Jazz PnB MVP
Since you’re not a very adventurous eater-out, D Fav, here’s a tip for you: The Bayou has the best sweet potato fries in Salt Lake City.
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