I've had a man crush ever since we traded for him.
"I want to play more than what I played last year," Favors admitted. "If it's starting, cool. If it's coming off the bench, cool. I don't mind. I just want to play more. I don't want to sit on the bench no more."
My love grows stronger everyday...
"...Just one more thing to fire up the young man who still uses his rocky rookie season as a motivating factor every time he steps into a gym. The way he was treated by the Nets after being drafted third overall in 2010 still irks him.
I don't want to go through nothing like that again," Favors said. "That's what motivates me every time I step in the gym — just being in trade rumors the whole time (in New Jersey). I know it's a business, but I just felt unwanted."
Favors has felt the exact opposite in Utah. He's very wanted, and he appreciates that, which seems obvious considering he accepted a request to travel from Tabiona to Moab and elsewhere in the state to put on a week's worth of Junior Jazz clinics this summer for youth (Jeremy Evans and DeMarre Carroll also took turns). One reason Favors accepted the organization's request was simply, he said, "just to get out and see Utah." Though he seems shy — "I'm just laid back … I'm not too shy," he clarified — Favors enjoys interactions with fans. He teasingly told Tabiona camp attendees that the Bobcats were the toughest team to play (after the worst season in NBA history). He then upped his joking level by claiming he'd want to play for the Lakers if he weren't with the Jazz.
"I'm just messing with them," Favors said, smiling. "I know they're going to get mad if I say something about the Lakers."
In reality, Favors is happy with the way he's been so openly embraced by the Jazz organization and its fans ever since Utah traded for him as part of the mega-D-Will deal in 2011.
"They haven't done anything to change my mind about it. Utah is a great place," Favors said. "It seems like a family-oriented organization. Everybody around here is nice. They try to help people to the best of their ability. I enjoy it. I enjoy being here."
A lot of nice things said by Favors about the team, state and fans. And I like him messing a bit with the fans. Pretty funny about Charlotte and mentioning the Lakers. This guy is a keeper!
I don't care who needs to go to make it happen: Jefferson, Millsap or Corbin. Just make Derrick happy by playing him close to 30 mins/per. He's talking about the extension, which leads me to believe he'd be willing to sign without entering free agency. That would certainly mean a discount for Utah. If he comes off the bench but still plays close to 30 mins this season, Jazz can guarantee him a starting job next year (simply by not re-signing Jefferson or Millsap).
I also like his confidence and humility.
""Training against the likes of Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and DeJuan Blair every day helped him learn what it will take to be a better pro on a day-in, day-out basis. Being around the Olympians showed him, he pointed out, that taking care of his body's conditioning is critical.
"I learned that I could compete with those guys," Favors said. "But at the same time, l learned that I've got a lot of work to do to be on their level consistently.""
