As you can see, fourth-year Power Forward Derrick Favors is definitely ready to start at the NBA level. It’s only a preseason game, of course, so nothing in this game really matters that much. That said, the Utah Jazz defeated the Golden State Warriors 101-78 on Tuesday. Even though preseason wins are not especially predictive of the outcomes of the NBA season, it is worth noting that not only did the Jazz have more blocks than the Warriors (8 vs. 5) but the Jazz outrebounded the Warriors, a team full of productive bigs such as David Lee and Andrew Bogut, 49-41. Are the Utah Jazz a sleeper playoff team in the West?
Bogut, the Warriors’ starting Center, had respectable numbers for the night, finishing with six points and ten rebounds in just under 23 minutes of play. Favors, on the other hand, finished the night with ten points, fourteen rebounds, and three blocked shots. While the Warriors are likely poised to be a playoff team on track to make a significant run this season (especially with the offseason pickup of Andre Iguodala), the Utah Jazz actually have some interesting young pieces. They may not make the playoffs this year, but watch out for them a couple of years down the line.
