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Saddled by foul trouble Saturday night, Derrick Favors saw only 22 minutes of action against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Favors picked up his first foul just 20 seconds into Saturday night's game against the Clippers. He picked up No. 2 late in the second, stopping L.A.'s Blake Griffin from getting an easy bucket. Jazz coach Ty Corbin let him stay in the game and Favors picked up a third — a loose-ball foul 20 feet from the basket — just seconds later.
"At times, I leave him out there with two fouls so he can grow his way through it and see how he manages it," Corbin said Monday.
With the exception of Saturday, just the second time all season the Utah big man has fouled out, Favors has managed it well. He is averaging 3.9 fouls per 36 minutes this season — down from 5 a season ago.
"I've been trying to pick my spots and trying to get to my spots early," Favors said. "Try to play better defense so I won't get in trouble."
It's a difficult lesson for a young player to learn, Corbin said, especially on the fly.
"One of the things we talked to him about is when you get that second foul in the first half and I have to take you out for a while, when I bring you back, how to be aggressive but smart," Corbin said. "Don't pull back on plays but maybe be there a step early. Recognize if it's a foul worth taking; if not, pull back. It takes a while to learn how to play through those situations."
Be prepared
When the Indiana Pacers came to EnergySolutions Arena a few weeks ago, coach Frank Vogel likened the lack of film he had to scout Jazz point guard Trey Burke to game planning for an unknown quarterback.
"It's like the old QB in the NFL rule: the first four weeks he can do whatever he wants, then all of a sudden the film comes out and everybody shuts him down," Vogel said, while praising Burke's abilities.
Well, a month after his return from injury, the Jazz rookie says he's noticed teams are better prepared for him.
"Now it's my job to scout the next team," he said.
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