The mantra around the Utah Jazz for the past two seasons has been that Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson have stunted the playing time opportunity for Derrick Favors. Anyone who has watched the Utah Jazz has felt Favors is on the verge of exploding and ready for a larger role.

Yet, when compared to other similar current bigs and a Utah Jazz all time great Karl Malone, Favors is not behind in minutes played at all. Favors entered the NBA as a young 19 year old, born July 15 1991. Now as a 21 year old he has played 4,698 minutes. More minutes than Tyson Chandler and Jermaine O’Neal played at the same age and other comparable big Joakim Noah and Roy Hibbert didn’t play in the NBA until they were 22 years old. Same goes for Jazz great Karl Malone who didn’t play until he was 22.

Below is a comparison of Favors, Chandler, Mailman, O’Neal, Noah and Hibbert. The numbers for Noah, Malone and Hibbert are after their first year at 22 years old. For a fair comparison project Favors plays 30 minutes a night next year for 2,400 minutes in the season and by 22 he will have played 7,000 minutes to Hibbert’s 1,000, Noah’s 1,500 and Malone’s 2,400.

Favors per minute or per game production doesn’t seem off-line either.

I am as surprised as you are about this. If you would like to comment on this post please do so in the Locked on Sports Community at Google +

INTRODUCTION
The final 4 teams left in the Western Conference this year were the 4 best teams in the West in effective field goal % defense. ( Weighs three point shooting.) The top 5 defensive teams all made it to the round of 8 and the New York Knicks were the only team to make the Final 8 with a defense below the top 15 in the NBA. You must play defense to win in the NBA.

For the last three seasons, the Utah Jazz have finished ranked 23rd, 19th and 21st defensively in the NBA. If the Jazz are competing with the best in the NBA they must become a better defensive team.

Last year the Jazz allowed 104.7 pts per 100 possessions. To move into the top 15 the Jazz would need to allow 103.0 and to move into the top 10 they would need to allow 101 pts per 100 possessions.

Therefore, I reviewed the last 20 plus years of NBA stats and found the 16 teams to have made a substantial (about 5 pts per 100 possessions) defensive jump from one year to the next. Over the next few weeks I will look at those 16 teams to see what made their defensive jump possible.
Note: I have not included any lockout shortened seasons.

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT CASE STUDY #1 –BOSTON CELTICS 2007-08

DEFENSIVE CHANGE: 2006-07 Boston allowed 106.9 pts per 100 possessions (16th). The next season 98.9 (#1 in the NBA)

INSIDE THE FOUR FACTORS: Were 20th in EFG% become #1, were 28th in fouling were still 23rd, and 10th in forcing turnovers and moved to #1. Pace of play didn’t change and offensive rebounding didn’t change.

PLAYER MOVEMENT: The 06-07 team started Pierce but only for 47 games with Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Deltone West, Sebastian Telfair and a gaggle of other players. In the off-season they had major roster turnover and added Kevin Garnett arguably the best defensive player of the generation and the entire culture changed. In addition, Rajon Rondo went from starting 25 games to being the starting point guard.

COACHING: No head coaching change – Doc Rivers head coach. On August of 2007 the Celtics added defensive guru Tom Thibodeau to their staff he had previously been with Jeff Van Gundy in Houston. Other members of that staff were Clifford Ray, Armond Hill and Kevin Eastman.

CONCLUSION: This one is really basic. Kevin Garnett and no Al Jefferson. However, the increase time with a long point guard in Rondo and the addition of Tom Thibodeau to the staff can’t be underplayed. Kevin Garnett was the defensive player of the year.