Jazz injury update: Favors’ status uncertain for Spurs game tonight

Jazz power forward Derrick Favors said Wednesday morning he is ready to play against the San Antonio Spurs in an ESPN-televised game at EnergySolutions Arena. Here’s the problem though: Favors is ready but his right foot might not be so willing.

“It’s frustrating but at the same time I have to listen to my body,” the 21-year-old said. “It’s a long season. I don’t want to go out there (and) make it worse.”

Favors has missed five consecutive games with a painful case of Plantar fasciits in his right foot. He spent much of last week resting but recently has been cleared to do basketball activities.

He thought he would play in Sunday’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers but was scratched from the lineup at the last minute.

“I hate that,” he said. “I felt good before the game but I still felt a little pain in it so I decided to shut it down.”

Favors went through a workout Monday and practiced Tuesday. He also went through Wednesday morning’s shootaround.

“I’ll go out there for pregame warmups, see how my foot feels,” he said. “It it feels good, I’ll go.”

He said his foot felt fine Wednesday morning but that’s no guarantee of how it’ll feel before the game’s 8:30 p.m. tipoff.

“It’s one of those injuries that can linger on,” he said. “It might get sore later on, I don’t know.”

Favors was one of the few Jazz players to have success against the Spurs during last season’s playoff series, which San Antonio swept.

In four games he averaged 11.8 points and 9.5 rebounds.

He said playing hard each possession made him effective during that series.

“I wanted to win at least one of the games,” he said. “So just (it was important) to just go out there playing hard and playing to my strengths.”

Asked if I thinks the Spurs are now aware of him, his strengths and capabilities on the court, Favors’ response was surprisingly confident.

“There’s a lot more stuff I can show,” he said. “I just gave them a sample but there’s a lot more stuff I can show.”

Favors may have a lot more to show the Spurs tonight, but here’s the problem: his right foot may not let him on the court.