Jazz eager for first regular-season matchup against ex-teammate and ‘awesome dude’ Derrick Favors

New Orleans • While Jazz fans have embraced the explosive offensive capability brought to the team this season by Bojan Bogdanovic, many still can’t help but miss the man Bogey replaced — Derrick Favors.

Actually, that goes for the Jazz players, too.

Though the team and the big man who spent more than eight years of his career in Utah were first reunited in a preseason game back on Oct. 11, their first regular-season meeting was delayed when back spasms forced him to stay home and miss a scheduled return trip to Salt Lake City on Nov. 23.

And so, barring something unforeseen in the next little while, they’ll finally face off in a meaningful game for the first time Monday night at the Smoothie King Center.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it. Derrick was one of the greater teammates that I’ve ever had in the NBA,” said forward Georges Niang. “He’s just an awesome dude.”

While this year’s Jazz roster obviously has a significantly different composition than last year’s, that sentiment is pretty universal among those who remain.

“I miss my guy, for sure,” said Donovan Mitchell.

“Derrick is like a brother,” added longtime frontcourt compatriot Rudy Gobert. “We were together for six years — since I got here.”

Once it became apparent this summer that the Jazz’s major offensive overhaul would entail bringing in Bogdanovic, Favors’ days with the franchise he’d been a part of since being traded midway through his rookie season were numbered, owing to salary constraints.

Out of respect for his time here, the front office worked to get him to his landing spot of choice — New Orleans — by dealing him to the retooling Pelicans for a pair of second-round draft picks in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Nevertheless, it has been a trying season for Favors. Ostensibly brought in to be the Pellies’ starting center, he was eyeing an expanded on-court role, but instead has been in yet another time-share situation — this time with rookie lottery pick Jaxson Hayes, veteran Jahlil Okafor and even European import Nicolò Melli.

His 23.9 minutes per game this season are similar to what he played last year with the Jazz. His scoring has dropped almost three points per game from a season ago (11.8 to 8.9), though his rebounds have jumped by almost the same amount (7.4 to a career-high 10.3).

Meanwhile, beyond the games he missed with the back spasms, he took a leave of absence from the team when his mother, Deandra, died on Nov. 25.

While his former Jazz teammates keep in regular contact with Favors via text, they also know there’s nothing quite like seeing some friendly faces, especially in the aftermath of such a tragedy.

“I’m excited to see Fav, talk to Fav,” Mitchell said before Saturday’s game in Orlando. “Ever since his mom passed, I’d love to just see him and talk to him in person and see how he’s doing.”

Still, while there will be good feelings between the Atlanta native and his former compatriots, everyone recognizes this is also a business trip, and that Favors can hardly be taken for granted.

As it turns out, his play is on an upswing of late. He’s topped 30 minutes of play in four of New Orleans’ past six games. He’s scored in double digits in four straight contests, and in six of the past seven. He’s reached double-digit rebounding totals eight times in a row.

And so, Gobert — who once started alongside Favors and was spelled by him in games — is now relishing the chance to face him.

“It’s gonna be a battle — he’s playing great,” said the Frenchman. “They haven’t won a lot of games lately, but every game they play is a close game. We know that it’s gonna be a battle.”

Though nostalgic Jazz fans now lament the absence of Favors’ rim protection and pick-and-roll chemistry with Joe Ingles, those he played with remember him more for the intangible qualities he brought.

“Came to work every day, never complained; no matter what his role changed to or what it was, he was just always ready to work. And he always had a cool, calm, collected vibe about him,” Niang said. “He’s an amazing person. I can’t wait to get down there and see him — I’ve texted with him a bunch of times since he’s left. He’s just a great dude.”