Utah Jazz: Top 10 story lines to watch for in 2017-18

Can Derrick Favors get back to form?

Although there were so many things that went right last season, there’s no denying that one of the major disappointments was the lackluster play of Derrick Favors. He’s struggled with injuries in years past, but 2016-17 seemed to be especially unforgiving as the Jazz big man missed 32 games and even in the ones he played, he never appeared to be 100 percent.

However, in the two seasons before that, Favors looked as if he was turning into a complete beast as he put up roughly 16 points and 8 rebounds in each season and seemed to have the potential to transform into a 20-10 guy. Instead, he took a major step backwards in 2016-17 as he averaged just 9.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest.

Fortunately, though, all signs indicate that Derrick has had an exceptional offseason and ought to be healthy heading into the upcoming season. If such is the case and he can stay injury-free throughout the 2017-18 campaign, then especially with an expanded opportunity in the absence of Gordon Hayward, Favors should be primed for a big year.

Thus, therein lies the remarkable story line facing the eighth-year pro out of Georgia Tech. Can he stay healthy and can he round back into form, perhaps even improving on his productivity from 2015-16? In recent social media posts, Favors has seemed confident that he can, but it remains to be seen whether or not he can truly translate that over to the court.

Several folks have brought up the need for Derrick Favors to be a major contributor for the Jazz, especially offensively, with Hayward gone. His ability to do so could very well make or break this Utah team in a season where they need every man on their roster to collectively step up.