4) Derrick Favors Has Progressed
Derrick Favors’ road to recovery has been a long and arduous process. He’s struggled in just about every phase of the game after missing 13 straight games in November and December. It’s been obvious from the eye test, but the numbers bear it out as well.
Since his return from injury last month, he’s averaged just 6.7 points per game and hit less than 40 percent of his field goal attempts. He’s also been a detriment defensively — Jazz opponents have scored 110.6 points per 100 possessions with Favors on the floor over that stretch.
However, he showed some progress in the recent losses. Against the Celtics, he hit double figures for the first time in nearly two months with 12 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists. In the Raptors game, he finished just shy of a double-double, with nine points and eight boards and was the only starter on the right side of the plus-minus ledger.
He’s also shot the ball better, making 45 percent of his field goal attempts.
Most importantly, he’s moving better and beginning to make some of the plays Jazz fans have come to expect from him. It’s probably going to be awhile before he’s back to true form, but he’s definitely taken some steps in the right direction recently.
Next: The Mack Attack