Bogdanovic Goes Through Practice, Favors Adjusts To New Roster

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz underwent their first group practice of the 2020-21 season on Friday. However, the Jazz were short two players from their full 18-man training camp roster. According to the team, two players missed practice due to COVID-19 restrictions.

An agreement between the NBA and the Players Association prohibits the Jazz from announcing which players were unable to participate in the practice.

On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that 48 players league-wide tested positive for COVID-19.

Bogdanovic A Full Participant At Jazz Practice

Bojan Bogdanovic was full participant in practice according to coach Quin Snyder. The Croatian forward underwent wrist surgery in May and said on Tuesday he was unsure if he’d be ready for the team’s season’s opener later this month.

Bogdanovic and the team said they needed to see how the rehabilitated wrist responded to individual workouts throughout the week before determining his availability for Friday’s group session.

“Anytime a player has been out, working back to recovery and going through that whole recovery process, they’re aware of that and keep an eye on them,” Snyder said of how the Jazz training staff is monitoring Bogdanovic.

“I think he’s excited to be back, as much as Bojan shows excitement,” Snyder joked about the usually stoic forward. “He looked pretty enthusiastic today.”

Favors Adjusting To New And Old Teammates

As Bogdanovic adjusts to being back on the floor, Derrick Favors is readjusting to being back in Utah. The big man returned to the Jazz after a season away spent playing with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Favors spent the first practice reacclimating to his former coaches and teammates, as well as building chemistry with new teammates the Jazz acquired in his absence.

The longtime Jazzman had yet to play with Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, or Jordan Clarkson but said he was familiar with their style of play.

” I was watching when I was in New Orleans and I was like man, those two guys can really put the ball in the basket, and space the floor,” Favors said of Bogdanovic and Clarkson. “They just bring something different to the team offensively when I was here we didn’t have.”

According to Snyder, even the new players on the roster are adjusting to Favors presence on the roster.

“Jordan made a couple of comments today about Fav because he hasn’t played with him before,” Snyder said. “Positive comments, obviously. Fav does so many things for other people when he plays. That’s just the nature of his game.”

As the team begins to prepare for the upcoming season, Snyder doesn’t anticipate a difficult learning curve for Favors getting accustomed to his teammates.

“Those guys getting to know him, I foresee that happening pretty quickly,” Snyder said. We’ve got guys that are good at that, frankly. Favs is good at it, Jordan is good at it, so are Bojan and some of the guys that haven’t played with him.”

The Jazz first preseason game is scheduled for December 12 when they host the Phoenix Suns.