This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Tribune Jazz beat reporter Tony Jones will answer readers' questions in a Twitter mailbag each week. You can submit questions using the hashtag #TonyTalks. Here is the this week's questions.
#TonyTalks With the paucity of play at the 4-5, how should the Jazz allocate Favors minutes if he returns?
— John Jenkins (@Oteachjohn) March 28, 2017
Tony's reply • Derrick Favors has been out for a while, so if past history repeats itself, he will be on a minutes restriction upon his return. I think he'll be back before the regular season ends.
The Jazz need Favors. They need his defense. They need his rim protection. Most importantly, they need his minutes when Rudy Gobert is not on the floor, which has been a big issue lately.
Credit Jeff Withey for playing well in Monday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans. But Utah's biggest problem rotation-wise without Favors is putting a credible defense on the floor when Gobert is on the bench.
@tribjazz #tonytalks Why Quinn finish with Neto instead of Hill?
— Steeler/Jazz Fan (@khart1968) March 28, 2017
Tony's reply • Neto was on the floor at the end Monday night because George Hill tweaked his toe.
The Jazz were winning by a comfortable enough margin that Neto was able to finish the game.
I spoke to Hill afterwards, and he told me he is fine and will be good to go. No, Hill is not at 100 percent. But he is going to play through the pain at this point.
@tribjazz Dante is regularly on the end of tough ref calls. Is this personal/due to his manner of play/age?#tonytalks
— Blurbman (@blurbman) March 28, 2017
Tony's reply • Rookies and younger guys tend to get the difficult end of officiating calls, especially at the beginning of their careers. Exum's case goes past that.
I've never seen a young guy garner a whistle quite like Exum this season. One play against New Orleans epitomizes how Exum has been officiated. He was isolated against Anthony Davis, one of the best players in the league. Exum, knowing this, did what he could. He stayed in front, and when Davis lifted for a jumper over him, Exum put his arms straight into the air.
I knew at the beginning of the play that a whistle was going to blow, no matter what Exum did. So he did nothing. He barely even defended on the play. The whistle still blew.
I looked at a replay, and Exum didn't touch him. And this is what he's faced all season.
There's not much to be done at this point. It's a running joke among the Jazz media. We call it the "Call a foul on Dante Exum when he does nothing" call that he gets at least once a game.
Exum just has to play through it, and hopefully for him he'll start to get more leeway from NBA officiating as he ages so he actually can play a little defense.
@tribjazz do you think Favors can get healthy enough to have an impact in the playoffs? It'd be nice to have him at backup C. #TonyTalks
— Matt Miller (@Matt9204) March 28, 2017
Tony's reply • The plan is for him to come back and play a few games before the end of the regular season. The goal right now is to get him healthy for the playoffs.
I think it can happen since the playoffs, especially the first round, are so spread out that there's time between games to recover, unlike the regular season.
You are correct. The Jazz desperately need Favors and the minutes he provides when Gobert is not on the floor.
More minutes for Exum over AB threw the rest of the season & playoffs? #TonyTalks
— Jose Reyes (@TheScarOfJ) March 28, 2017
Tony's reply • It will be interesting to see what coach Quin Snyder does with Alec Burks going forward. He's struggled with his shooting. He's struggled with his decision-making. He's struggled defensively. Surprisingly, he's struggled to finish at the basket.
Burks essentially has lost two years to injury, and we're seeing the impact of that. He was a different player before the injuries. But I still think, it's too early to give up on him. I think he holds a lot of value as a guy who can create for himself and get to the basket.
The Jazz bench needs that. Can Burks provide it?