He deserves a chance to show what he can do with a better shooting lineup
Say what you will about Derrick Favors, but make no mistake about it, he has given his heart and soul to this Jazz team, and has sacrificed more than anybody since the rise of Rudy Gobert. Rather than feel disgruntled with his role on the team, complain or hang his head, he’s simply gone to work. He’s worked hard to adapt his game to the modern NBA and continues to improve in the ways he’s asked to in order to better co-exist with the Stifle Tower.
In so doing, and by being such a high-character guy both on and off the floor, he’s won over the hearts of Jazz Nation to an incredible degree. That love doesn’t simply come because he’s a nice guy or a fan favorite, it’s because he’s been an important part of the team for years and his contributions haven’t gone unrecognized.
As such, Derrick Favors deserves a chance to return to this Jazz roster and show what he can do when the team as a whole has him in a better situation. To do this, the Jazz need to up their shooting, beginning with their starting point guard, then see what the combo of Favs and Rudy can accomplish.
This won’t be easy – as I said, for Utah to pull in a big-time improvement it will likely require trading or releasing Favors – but it’s absolutely worth the effort. Dennis Lindsey himself said during end-of-season interviews that Derrick isn’t a part of the problem, but rather a part of the solution, and I completely agree. There’s fathomable ways that the Jazz could get better by parting ways with Favs, but I truly believe they’re ultimate ceiling is by keeping him on board and making upgrades elsewhere.
"Derrick Favors isn't part of the problem. He's part of the solution," Dennis Lindsey says
— Ryan McDonald (@ryanwmcdonald) April 25, 2019
Dennis Lindsey is incredibly less emphatic about the prospect of Ricky Rubio returning than he was about Derrick Favors, FWIW
— Ryan McDonald (@ryanwmcdonald) April 25, 2019
If the Jazz are able to make said enhancements, eliminating many of the issues that arose from the Rubio-Favors-Gobert trio, Favors could very well have an even more significant impact in such a scenario. Based on all he’s shown throughout his career as a Jazzman and the splendid season he had in 2018-19 despite logging the fewest minutes since the 2011-12 season, Favors absolutely deserves that chance.
If he were a starter in an optimal situation, he’d easily be averaging a double-double night in and night out. That may not be feasible for as long as he’s on the same roster as Rudy Gobert, but those are still the kind of beastly numbers he’s capable of putting up. Rather than looking to quickly dismiss him for improvements that may be mitigated by the void Derrick would leave, the Jazz should attempt first and foremost to keep Derrick around and allow him to showcase what he can do with a more dynamic backcourt on his side.