Derrick Favors faces Utah Jazz in regular season for first time since trade to New Orleans Pelicans

FILE: New Orleans Pelicans forward Derrick Favors (22) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) | AP

NEW ORLEANS — Leading up to the Utah Jazz’s first regular-season game against former teammate Derrick Favors, now a member of the New Orleans’ Pelicans, everything was business as usual.

“They’re going to come out and try to kick our (butt) and especially try to kick my (butt) so I’ve got to be ready,” Favors said with a laugh. “After the game we can shake hands and hug and all that.”

Favors, a Jazz fan favorite who spent most of his 10-year career in Utah, was traded to the Pelicans in July, but the move has not kept him from keeping in contact with his old teammates and others in the Jazz organization.

“We text every now and then when we’ve got some free time and check up each other,” Favors said.

Before the game on Monday night, in the halls of the Smoothie King Center, Jazz vice president of communications Derek Garduño handed Favors a bag of homemade beef jerky. While Favors was with the Jazz, Garduño’s homemade specialty was a favorite of Favors’ and the 28-year-old forward/center said he used to ask for it all the time when he was in Salt Lake City.

Across the Jazz roster, players noted how good of a friend and teammate Favors was when he was with the Jazz. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert both referred to Favors as their brother and said that he would always be their friend.

Joe Ingles, who noted that it would be weird to play against Favors as he’d never had to do that before and that he’d definitely be going after him in the game, added that on the court Favors always made things better for the Jazz.

“On the court and off the court, just an unbelievable guy,” Ingles said. “He’s one of the best bigs I’ve played with. What he did, not only to help me individually, because I could throw that bounce pass and I knew it was an assist every time, I’m going to be happy to see him tonight.”

Favors said that the transition following the trade was tough at first, getting used to new teammates, a new city and a new system for the first time since his first year in the league. Things were made a little tougher when Favors’ mother, Deandra, died suddenly at the age of 55 in late November.

Many of the Jazz players sent their condolences and well wishes to Favors after the passing of his mother and were looking forward to doing the same in person on Monday.

“As much as anything, it’s good to see him and it’s good to see him smile,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said.

Things have evened out for Favors, who has become an important piece in the Pelicans starting unit, averaging 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

“I think I’m more comfortable now than I was in the first game,” Favors said. “I’m having fun and I’m enjoying my time here.”

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2QwfywM