Derrick Favors, Not Gordon Hayward, Is Real Utah Jazz Franchise Building Block
By all accounts, the Utah Jazz are Gordon Hayward's team.
The fifth-year forward enters the 2014-15 season with the heaviest contract on the franchise's books ($14.7 million). Last time around, the former Butler University star led the club in scoring (16.2) and field-goal attempts (13.4) while ranking second in assists (5.2).
He was also the organization's lone participant at Team USA's training camp—sophomore point guard Trey Burke suited up for the Select Team—though he was one of the last four players cut before the group took off for the FIBA World Cup.
In terms of both salary and stature, Hayward has been thrust into the driver's seat. And he has had trouble just getting the car out of the lot.
"While the Jazz's roster is intriguing, they've yet to add that go-to player who could be a star," wrote ESPN Insider Chad Ford (subscription required). "Their roster feels like a collection of good second or third starters on a playoff team."
A shot at Utah's lack of star power is a shot at Hayward himself. While Ford is right that the forward doesn't appear to have go-to-player potential, it's hard casting that net across the entire roster.
Derrick Favors, the No. 3 pick in 2010, has the ceiling of a skyscraper—and nearly the same reach. The Jazz aren't without a cornerstone piece, they just haven't moved the right building block into that position yet.
Favors has four seasons under his belt and, admittedly, nothing that remotely resembles the resume of a franchise face. There has been some growth in his game, but in some respects, he's still the same defensively disruptive, offensively limited physical specimen who needed just a single season at Georgia Tech to punch his NBA ticket.
Yet, it's hard to characterize that as a cause for concern.
Last season was the first in which he was handled without kid gloves. His playing time jumped to 30.2 minutes per game, a full seven minutes more than his previous career high. His field-goal attempts average (10.2) and usage percentage (20.8) were also personal peaks.
With Favors' increased exposure came added production. He played better as the spotlight shined brighter on him.
The same cannot be said for Hayward. The heavier his workload has gotten over time, the less efficient he's become. The Jazz have asked him to be their No. 1 option, but the stat sheet says it's a role he simply isn't equipped to fill.
Both of Utah's building blocks are moving but not in the same direction.
Everything is trending up for Favors. He is becoming a better contributor in terms of both quantity and quality.
His numbers read like those of a young player who needed some seasoning on this stage. Go back through his old scouting reports, and you'll find some variation of that description. Favors has always been a long-term investment, and the Jazz are just starting to see the type of return he can offer.
Even in his unpolished state coming out of college, Favors had centerpiece potential.
His physical gifts graded off the charts.
He had the size of a center and athleticism of a power forward. And he was above average in both respects. He had a longer wingspan (7'4") and higher standing reach (9'2") than the average center in the DraftExpress database (7'2.6" and 9'1.3", respectively). His max vertical (35.5") and three-quarter court sprint (3.25) easily outpaced the average 4 (33.2 and 3.32).
But he wasn't simply an elite athlete. He was a premier player who possessed elite athleticism.
While breaking down his strengths, DraftExpress labeled four areas of his game as excellent: hands, touch, wingspan and rebounding. The scouting website also lauded his pick-and-roll defense, shot-blocking, defensive versatility, finishing ability both at the rim and through contact, work ethic and quickness.
Add a jump shot to the equation, and you might have built the perfect big for today's NBA. And remember, this was when he was still a teenager who was dominating with crude natural gifts.
He's still sharpening some of his tools, but his collection is more refined than his numbers suggest.
Defensively, he's already the biggest deterrent that Utah has. His length and explosiveness help him anchor that end, but his focus, understanding and attention to detail all factor into the equation as well.
"By all accounts, Favors has become the de facto captain of the Jazz defense," wrote Salt City Hoops' Dan Clayton. "He sported the highest rating on the Jazz's proprietary defensive adherence system, and often directed others as to the right spots and rotations."
Offensively, Favors does the majority of his damage around the basket. He was a 69.6 percent shooter within three feet of the basket last season and converted only 36.2 percent of his attempts beyond that range.
That said, his soft hands and interior touch could be potent weapons under new head coach Quin Snyder.
"In Snyder's uptempo offense, he could finally have what media outside Utah would consider a breakout season," wrote Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey. "He'll get plenty of opportunities around the rim as the big man in pick-and-roll sets and as a finisher on the break."
And if Favors is excited to start working with Snyder, it sounds like the feeling is mutual, via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News:
Favors can fill Utah's star void. He has all the necessary ingredients to have that type of impact.
And he's willing to put in the effort needed to maximize his potential, as Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune explained:
"Heading into his fifth season, the Jazz big man knows that he needs to expand his offensive game and continue to evolve into a defensive and rebounding force at the other end of the floor.
To that end, Favors’ off-season has been dedicated to expanding the range on his jumper, adding moves with his back to the basket and losing weight. Favors is expected to play center in Snyder’s new offense. Largely gone are the days of him occupying the low post. Much of his time will be spent playing pick-and-roll basketball with the guards.
'When I was younger, I would try to dunk on everyone,' Favors said. 'But I know that’s not possible all the time.'
"
Especially not for a player with ambitions as high as Favors', per Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune:
Even with four years of mileage on Favors' NBA odometer, it's still impossible to place a proper ceiling on his production.
His strength in the pick-and-roll will only be augmented by the growth of Trey Burke and Dante Exum. Favors' face-up game could grow exponentially if he becomes a more comfortable shooter and pulls his defender further away from the rim.
He's just now starting to scratch the surface, and Utah must make sure it doesn't prevent his ascent.
Hayward is a nice piece, as are Burke, Alec Burks, Enes Kanter and, for now, Exum. But Favors could be the one who brings the puzzle together.
If Utah wants to capitalize on its tantalizing young collection of talent sooner than later, it needs to let Favors lead the way—and be prepared to follow his rise through the ranks.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
.jpg?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "🚨 Giants Picking 5th and 10th")
