Derrick Favors Says Becoming an All-Star is a ‘Personal Goal’

Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors thinks he has a decent shot at becoming an NBA All-Star in 2015-16.

Favors put up a career-high 16 points and grabbed 8.2 rebounds in 74 games for the Jazz last season.

The 24-year-old is aiming to become Utah’s first All-Star since Deron Williams, the player he was traded for during his rookie season in 2011.

Per the NY Daily News:

“It’s a personal goal for me to be an All-Star. And I think right now, I’ve been put in a position to hopefully make it with a good team, a good coach, an organization and a front office that’s pushing for it,” Favors said. “So I think I have a good chance to make it. But it all depends on me – how I play this year, how bad do I want it.”

 

Favors averaged a career-high 16 points last season along with 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. He is an athletic paint presence who – as the Nets knew when they drafted him third overall in 2010 – plays above the rim and exhibits All-Defense potential.

 

Now it has reached the point with Favors that his omission from the Team USA training camp roster was a controversy, especially since Mason Plumlee and Kenneth Faried were invited this summer. [….] “It did definitely bothered me. But I use it for motivation,” Favors said, adding that he’s had no contact with Team USA president Jerry Colangelo. “They didn’t pick me. They picked the guys who they wanted, so that’s all good. Hopefully I’ll get picked next time.”