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Friday's Jazz News: Derrick Favors is all grown up and a leader on the team

Boris Diaw not as athletic as he once was but still ‘faster than he looks’: After practicing alongside Boris Diaw for the first time, Jazz forward Derrick Favors chuckled that his new teammate is "faster than he looks." Diaw, of course, has been surprising people around the NBA for years. The 6-foot-8 Frenchman may be known best for his love of good coffee and his laid-back demeanor, but he has also proven to be one of the league's most versatile players and a sneaky athlete. -- The Salt Lake Tribune

Derrick Favors is all grown up — and a leader for the Jazz: Under the watchful eye of Utah Jazz fans, Derrick Favors has grown up. After arriving from New Jersey as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade in 2011, he has evolved from a shy, quiet, almost shell-shocked 19-year-old into one of the best power players in the NBA. If the Jazz take a step forward this season and reach the Western Conference playoffs, as many are predicting, Favors will likely do much of the heavy-lifting. -- The Salt Lake Tribune

Bolomboy determined to make good on his goal to make it in NBA: Last January, when Joel Bolomboy was about to become the all-time leading rebounder in Weber State and Big Sky Conference men's basketball history, he was asked about what his long-term career aspirations were. "The goal is just to play in the NBA," the WSU star said with steely determination. "... I think the NBA is where I'll end up." Flash forward eight months and, sure enough, there he is, trying to earn a roster spot with the Utah Jazz, who selected Bolomboy in the second round of the NBA draft in June and signed him to a contract in August. -- Deseret News

Joe Johnson happy to help Jazz in any way he can: Joe Johnson has started every NBA game he’s played in for the past 12 years, a remarkable achievement that not even LeBron James can claim. For his career, Johnson has averaged 36 minutes per game, which only one Jazz player (Gordon Hayward) did last year. For 11 of his 15 seasons, Johnson has played for an Eastern Conference team. Things should be quite different for the seven-time all-star this year. -- Deseret News

Coach Snyder points out positive performances: Jazz coach Quin Snyder doesn’t always single out players — for good or bad sometimes — but he has extended praise to multiple guys when asked who’s stood out during the early portion of camp. -- Deseret News

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